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Selling  Lumber 


Being  the  Full  and  Complete 
Report  of  the  First 

School    of 
Salesmanship 

Held  ai  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
June  26,  27  and  28      :      : 


1916 


Under  the  Auspices  of  the 


SOUTHERN  PINE  ASSOCIATION 


Introductory 


IT  IS  impossible  to  estimate  the  value  to  the  Southern  Pine 
industry  of  the  School  of  Salesmanship,  which  held  its  first 
convention  at  St.  Louis  June  26,  27  and  28,  1916.  The  School 
would  have  been  worth  its  trouble  and  cost  if  it  had  accomplished 
nothing  beyond  familiarizing  lumber  salesmen  with  the  aims  and 
activities  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  and  bringing  to  each  of 
them  an  appreciation  of  the  intimate  relation  of  Association  work 
to  his  individual  interests.  The  wealth  of  material  assembled  in 
the  three  days'  programs  constituted  a  liberal  education,  not  only  in 
methods  of  salesmanship,  but  in  technical  facts  concerning  the  man- 
ufacture and  use  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine.  This  educational  mat- 
ter is  of  tremendous  importance  to  the  entire  industry,  and  here 
assembled  and  published  in  permanent  form  serves  as  an  extremely 
useful  handbook  and  guide  for  all  time  to  come. 

Another  important  feature  of  the  School  of  Salesmanship  was 
that  its  unique  character  attracted  much  friendly  comment  from 
the  daily  press,  adding  materially  to  that  publicity  that  is  doing 
so  much  to  restore  Lumber  to  its  rightful  place  in  the  public  esteem. 

There  was  ample  evidence  at  the  School  that  those  in  attend- 
ance not  only  were  intensely  interested,  but  that  the  spirit  and 
intent  of  the  School  ha<J.  .given  th-s.  salesmen  a  new  and  broader 
appreciation^  their  relation  to  cl'ifi- Southern  Yellow  Pine  industry 
and  their  power  to  promote  a  better  knowledge  of  Yellow  Pine  and 
its  more  extended  and  intelligent  use. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Program 

School  #/ Salesmanship 

Held  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  June  26,  27  and  28,  1916 

Under  the  Auspices  of  the 

SOUTHERN  PINE  ASSOCIATION 

FIRST  SESSION 

Monday  Morning 
June  26 

INVOCATION  :  Rev.  Dr.  W.  C.  Bitting,  Pastor  Second  Baptist  Church,  St. 
Louis,  Mo. 

ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME:  Geo.  W.  Funck,  President  The  Lumbermen's  Ex- 
change, St.  Louis,  Mo. 

ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME:  Julius  Seidel,  Julius  Seidel  Lumber  Co.,  St.  Louis, 
Mo. 

RESPONSE  :  ''Purpose  of  Meeting,"  Harry  T.  Kendall,  Chairman,  Committee 
on  Sales  and  Distribution,  Southern  Pine  Association,  Houston,  Texas. 

ADDRESS  :  "Organization  Means  Efficiency,"  Charles  S.  Keith,  President 
Southern  Pine  Association,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

ADDRESS  :  "What  the  Southern  Pine  Association  Is,"  J.  E.  Rhodes,  Secretary- 
Manager  Southern  Pine  Association,  New  Orleans,  La. 

ADDRESS  :  "Character  Judging  As  a  Business  Asset,"  Dr.  Stanley  L.  Krebs, 
Institute  of  Mercantile  Art,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

SECOND  SESSION 

Monday  Afternoon 
June  26. 

QUESTIONNAIRE:  Questions  answered  by  Dr.  Hermann  von  Schrenk,  Con- 
sulting Engineer,  Southern  Pine  Association,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

ADDRESS  :  "Co-operation  with  Distributors  anid  Consumers,"  M.  B.  Nelson, 
General  Sales  Agent,  Long-Bell  Lumber  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

ADDRESS:  "What  Are  tihe  Best  Einishes  for  Yellow  Pine  for  Interior  Use?" 
R.  H.  Brooks,  Manager,  Arkansas  Soft  Pine  Bureau,  Little  Rock,  Ark. 

ADDRESS  :  "Painting  Yellow  Pine,"  H.  A.  Gardner,  Consulting  Engineer,  Na- 
tional Paint  Manufacturers'  Association,  Washington,  D.  C. —  (in  the  ab- 
sence of  the  author  the  address  was  read  by  Secretary-Manager  J.  E. 
Rhodes). 

ADDRESS  :  "Salesmanship,"  D.  M.  Barrett,  Editor  "Salesmanship"  Magazine 
and  General  Chairman  of  "World's  Salesmanship  Congress,"  Detroit, 
Mich. 

ADDRESS  :  "Advantages  of  a  Technical  Training  in  the  Lumber  Business," 
S.  E.  Robinson,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

THIRD  SESSION 

Tuesday  Morning 

June  27. 

ADDRESS  :     "Stumpage  and  Logging  Costs,"  Frank  Schopflin,  Central  Coal  & 
Coke  Co.,  Kansas  City.  Mo.   (in  the  absence  of  the  author  the  address 
was  read  by  Secretary-Manager  J.  E.  Rhodes). 
ADDRESS  :     "Co-operation  with  Architects  and  Builders,"  Jason  F.  Richardson, 

Jr.,  Ottawa,  111. 

ADDRESS  :  "Saw  Mill  Costs,"  C.  J.  Mansfield,  General  Manager.  Arkansas 
Lumber  Co.,  Warren,  Ark. 


374233 


SELLING    LUMBER 


ADDRESS:  "Yellow  Pine  Shingles,"  J.  H.  Eddy,  Chairman,  Shingle  Com- 
mittee, Southern  Pine  Association,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

ADDRESS:  "Judging  Orders,"  F.  R.  Watkins,  General  Sales  Agent,  Missouri 
Lumber  and  Land  Exchange,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

ADDRESS  :  "Lumber  Salesmanship,"  Edward  Hines,  Edward  Hines  Lumber 
Co.,  Chicago,  111. 

FOURTH  SESSION 

Tuesday  Afternoon 
June  27. 

QUESTIONNAIRE:  Discussion  of  questions  suggested  by  Committee  on  Sales 
and  Distribution. 

ADDRESS  :  "How  to  Best  Cover  the  Territory,"  James  H.  Heyl,  Eastman- 
Gardiner  &  Co.,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

ADDRESS:  "The  Wooden  Silo,"  J.  Lewis  Thompson,  Chairman  Silo  Com- 
mittee, Southern  Pine  Association,  Houston,  Texas. 

DISCUSSION:  Subject — "What  is  the  best  disposition  to  make  of  short  lum- 
ber?" 

ADDRESS  :  "Mill  Construction,"  Robert  S.  Lindstrom,  Illinois  Chapter,  Ameri- 
can Institute  of  Architects,  Chicago,  111. 

Arrangements  for  Territorial  Organization. 

ADDRESS  :  "Efficiency,"  R.  J.  Tolson,  Auditor  Wm.  Cameron  &  Co.,  Inc., 
Waco,  Texas  (in  the  absence  of  the  author  the  address  was  read  by 
J.  C.  Dionne,  Editor  The  Gulf  Coast  Lumberman). 

DISCUSSION  :  The  twenty-three  requisites  for  determining  the  efficiency  of 
a  man  in  the  Lumber  Business. 

FIFTH  SESSION 

Wednesday  Morning 
June  28. 

ADDRESS  :  "Selling  Costs,  Direct  and  Indirect,"  W.  M.  Beebe,  Manager  Yel- 
low Pine  Department,  Long-Bell  Lumber  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

ADDRESS:  "Co-operation  from  the  Saw  Mill,"  Charles  E.  Martin,  Sabine 
Lumber  Co.,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 

ADDRESS  :  "Merits  and  Limitations  of  Wood,"  E.  A.  Sterling,  Manager  Ex- 
tension Bureau,  National  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association,  Chicago, 

ADDRESS  :  "Decay  of  Yellow  Pine  Lumber  and  Methods  for  Preventing 
Same,"  Dr.  Hermann  von  Schrenk,  Consulting  Engineer,  Southern  Pine 
Association,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

ADDRESS  :  "Possibilities  for  Mill  Refuse,"  Howard  F.  Weiss,  Director  Forest 
Products  Laboratory,  U.  S.  Forest  Service,  Madison,  Wis. 

ADDRESS  :  "Reaching  the  Consumer,"  Hugh  McVey,  Business  Manager,  "Suc- 
cessful Farming,"  Des  Moines,  Iowa.  ' 

ADDRESS  :     General  L.  C.  Boyle,  Special  Counsel,  Southern  Pine  Association, 

Kansas  City,  Mo. 
*» 

SIXTH  SESSION 

Wednesday  Afternoon 
June  28. 

QUESTIONNAIRE  :  Questions  were  answered  by  Dr.  Hermann  von  Schrenk  and 
E.  A.  Sterling. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


ADDRESS  :     ''How   Salesmen   Can   Co-operate  with  the  Association,"   Ben  S. 

Woodhead,  President,  Beaumont  Lumber  Co.,  Beaumont,  Texas. 
ADDRESS:     "The  Lumber  Salesman  and  His  Possibilities,"  Capt.  J.  B.  White, 

President,  Missouri  Lumber  and  Land  Exchange,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
DISCUSSION:     Subject — "Selling  Cars  in  Transit,"  and  other  questions. 
DISCUSSION  :     Chief  Inspector  J.  E.  Jones  answered  questions  on  the  Grading 

and  Density  rules. 

ADJOURNMENT. 

The  following  addresses  were  prepared  for  the  convention,  but  were  not 
delivered,  owing  to  lack  of  time  or  the  absence  of  the  authors.  They  are 
reproduced  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

ADDRESS  :     "Exploiting  Yellow  Pine,"  W.  H.  Sullivan,  Chairman  Trade  Ex- 
tension Committee,  'Southern  Pine  Association,  Bogailiusa,  La. 

ADDRESS  :     "Why  the  Salesman  Must  Know  Grades,"  W.  J.  Haynen,  Chair- 
man Grading  Committee,  Southern  Pine  Association,  Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

ADDRESS  :     "Selling  Factory  and  Industrial  Trade,"  C.  W.  Myers,  W.  R.  Pick- 
ering Lumber  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

ADDRESS  :     "Cost  from  Mill  to  Car,"  L.  J.  Boykin,  Gulf  Lumber  Co.,  Houston, 
Texas. 

ADDRESS  :     "Claims    and    Disputes :    Their    Causes    and    Settlement,"    M.    L. 
Wuesoher,  Auditor  Great  'Southern  Lumber  Co.,  Bogaiusa,  La. 

ADDRESS  :     "Wood  Substitutes,"  H.  S.  Sackett,  Trade  Extension  Bureau,  Na- 
tional Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association,  Chicago,  111. 

ADDRESS  :     "Yard  Stock  Grading  Rules,"  J.  W.  Martin,   Long-Bell  Lumber 
Co.,  Shreveport,  La. 

ADDRESS  :     "Wood  Blocks  for  Interior  Floors,"  A.  H.  Noyes,  Assistant  Sec- 
retary Ayer  &  Lord  Tie  Company,  Chicago,  111. 

ADDRESS  :     "Co-operation  from  the  General  Office,"  W.  L.   Henry,   Chicago 
Lumber  &  Coal  Co.,  Springfield,  111. 

ADDRESS:     "Advertising,"  W.  J.  Ferry,  Advertising  Manager,  Southern  Pine 
Association,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

ADDRESS:     "The  Density  Rule,"  J.  E.  Jones,  Chief  Inspector,  Southern  Pine 
Association,  New  Orleans,  La. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Proceedings  of  the  School 
of  Salesmanship 

A   Complete   Report  of  the  Activities  of   the 

Convention  as  Recorded  by  the 

Official  Stenographer 

In  accordance  with  a-  resolution  adopted  on  the  22d  day  of 
February,  1916,  by  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Southern  Pine 
Association,  providing  for  the  holding  of  a  School  of  Salesman- 
ship under  the  direction  and  control  of  the  Committee  on  Sales 
and  Distribution  of  the  Association,  and  pursuant  to  the  notice 
and  call  duly  issued  thereunder  by  the  said  committee,  the  School 
of  Salesmanship  was  convened  at  the  American  Theater,  in  the 
City  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  on  Monday,  the  26th  day  of  June, 
1916. 

FORENOON  SESSION. 
Monday,  June  26,    1916. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  at  9:30  o'clock  a.  m.  by 
Harry  T.  Kendall,  Chairman. 

The  following  officers  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  were 
present : 

Charles  S.  Keith,  President ;  J.  E.  Rhodes,  Secretary  and 
Manager;  J.  H.  Eddy,  Chairman  Shingle  Committee;  J.  Lewis 
Thompson,  Chairman  Silo  Committee;  John  L.  Kaul,  Chairman 
Paving  Block  Committee;  J.  E.  Jones,  Chief  Inspector;  W.  J. 
Ferry,  Advertising  Manager. 

There  were  also  in  attendance  members  of  the  Association, 
representatives  and  salesmen  of  members,  and  others,  a  full  roster 
of  whom  is  appended  to  this  report. 

The  Chairman:  Come  to  order,  gentlemen.  It  is  customary 
to  open  all  of  the  formal  Association  meetings  with  prayer;  and 
I  am  very  much  pleased  to  introduce  to  you  Dr.  William  C. 
Bitting,  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church  of  this  city.  I  will  ask  that 
you  all  rise  during  the  invocation. 

Dr.  Bitting:  Almighty  God,  we  pray  Thee  now  that  Thou 
Invocation  wilt  give  unto  us,  in  our  deliberations,  Thy  word  and  Thy  wis- 
dom, to  fit  and  inspire  us  to  minister  to  the  necessities  of  every 


SELLING     LUMBER 


land  throughout  the  world.  We  give  Thee  hearty  thanks  that 
Thou  hast  called  these  men  together.  We  thank  Thee  for  Thy 
holy  word.  Thou  hast  made  the  trees  of  the  field.  Thou  hast 
spoken  to  us  about  the  strength  of  the  oak,  about  the  majesty  of 
the  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  about  the  peacefulness  of  the  olive  and  the 
perfection  of  the  pine;  and  we  thank  Thee  that  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  at  last  consecrated  the  tree  when  he  hung  upon  it  for  our 
transgressions  and  was  bruised  thereon  for  our  iniquities.  We 
ask  Thee  to  grant  to  us  a  sense  of  the  sacredness  of  all  things 
that  we  handle  and  with  which  we  deal,  that  we  may  not  hold 
back  our  love  of  all  our  work.  May  we  find  in  it  our  pleasure, 
our  enthusiasm.  May  we  find  that  the  paths  of  the  toilers  of 
life  are  not  to  make  a  living,  but  to  teach  us  how  to  live,  and  that, 
better  than  all  the  financial  gains  that  come  from  our  daily  occu- 
pation, may  be  the  manhood  that  is  developed  in  us  through  the 
service  of  mankind.  As  we  are  engaged  in  our  daily  discussions, 
give  us  strength,  and  may  we  be  conscious  that  we  are  minister- 
ing to  the  welfare  of  humanity;  that  out  of  Thy  word  come  com- 
forts, come  so  many  things  that  belong  to  the  advancement  of  the 
world;  and  as  we  stand  between  the  trees  of  the  forest,  that  clap 
their  hands  in  praise  unto  Thee  because  of  their  creation  for 
human  need  and  shelter,  Oh,  God,  do  Thou  grant  that  we  may 
see  ourselves  as  the  ministers  of  Thy  goodness.  Do  Thou  guide 
these  men  in  all  their  deliberations.  May  their  studies  make  them 
more  and  more  capable,  and  help  them  in  all  their  deliberations 
to  secure  the  welfare  of  human  effort — we  ask  through  Christ 
Jesus,  our  Lord.  Amen. 

The  Chairman:  Gentlemen,  it  is  my  pleasure  to  introduce  to 
you  Mr.  George  W.  Funck,  the  president  of  the  Lumbermen's 
Exchange  of  St.  Louis,  an  organization  that  is  doing  good  work 
for  the  lumber  industry  of  this  city.  Mr.  Funck  desires  to  wel- 
come us  to  St.  Louis.  (Applause.) 

Mr.    Funck:     Fellow-lumbermen,   I   greet   you  on   behalf   of 
the  Exchange  of   St.   Louis.     The  doors  are  open.     I   am  going  Address  of 
to  leave  the  opening  address  of  welcome  to  my  co-worker,  Brother   Welcome 
Seidel,  who  will  now  address  you.     I  thank  you.     (Applause.) 

The  Chairman:  Gentlemen,  it  is  my  pleasure  to  introduce  to 
you  Mr.  Julius  Seidel,  of  the  Julius  Seidel  Lumber  Company,  and 
also  Snark  of  the  Universe,  Concatenated  Order  of  Hoo-Hoo. 
(Applause.) 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Mr.  Seidel:  Brother  lumbermen,  on  behalf  of  the  City  of 
St.  Louis,  and  more  particularly  on  behalf  of  the  lumbermen  of 
St.  Louis,  I  extend  to  you  a  hearty  greeting.  There  was  a  time 
in  these  affairs  when  we  used  George  (referring  to  Mr.  Funck), 
but  George  fell  down  completely,  and  that  is  why  I  am  here 
before  you  this  morning.  It  looks  like  an  old-time  home-coming  to 
see  you  back  in  St.  Louis.  It  is  so  long  since  we  had  these  organ- 
izations here  in  St.  Louis  that  we  naturally  rejoice  as  St.  Louis- 
ians  to  have  you  back  again  in  our  fold.  We  will  leave  nothing 
undone  to  make  your  time  pleasant — that  is,  if  there  is  any  time 
left  for  that.  But  I  see  that  Brother  Rhodes  has  got  the  program 
so  full  that  I  don't  think  there  will  be  any  pleasantries  for  at  least 
during  the  day.  Now  I  think  that  it  is  quite  proper  that  where 
we  are  today  making  such  a  strong  plea  for  the  use  of  wood, 
where  we  formerly  made  the  plea  for  the  use  of  an  individual 
kind  of  lumber,  that  you  ought  to  be  in  St.  Louis,  because  I 
believe  that  St.  Louis,  above  all  cities,  has  been  a  school  of  train- 
ing in  the  use  of  wood.  St.  Louis  was  primarily  a  white  pine 
Address  of  mai"ket,  and  I  remember  how  slowly  the  industries  commenced 
Welcome  to  use  the  other  kind  of  wood  when  the  South  opened  up  its 
products  for  use  in  wood  manufacture.  I  look  at  the  past  with 
a  great  deal  of  humor  when  I  think  of  certain  experiences  that 
were  passed  through.  For  instance,  I  remember  one  concern 
here  that  made  wooden  pickets.  They  were  all  made  of  white 
pine,  and  the  firm  was  trying  to  introduce  cottonwood,  and  when 
they  told  their  customer  they  would  send  him  pickets  made  of 
cottonwood  of  course  he  would  not  stand  for  it,  because  he  didn't 
know  any  of  the  qualifications  of  cottonwood ;  so  finally  they 
made  him  a  gate  and  he  had  white  pine  pickets  on  either  end  and 
cottonwood  in  the  center;  and  after  he  had  them  introduced 
he  could  hardly  get  rid  of  his  white  pine.  I  remember  gum 
lumber  very  well,  because  I  bumped  up  against  it.  I  was  with  a 
white  pine  concern  that  sold  white  pine  lumber  for  boards.  At 
that  time  we  sold  them  for  $8.00  delivered  to  the  box  factory,  and 
I  generally  had  to  take  the  order  with  the  understanding  that 
it  was  a  very  good  No.  4.  And  then  came  gum  lumber,  and  it 
was  cut  l>^-inch  thick  after  it  was  dry;  and  they  commenced  to 
sell  it  for  $8.00  a  thousand,  and  of  course  that  hurt  the  sale  of 
our  lumber.  And  I  could  relate  to  you  a  whole  lot  of  anecdotes 
of  that  kind,  but  I  won't  do  it  because  our  time  is  limited.  But 


SELLING     LUMBER 


in  order  to  intensify  what  I  have  said  about  St.  Louis  being  a 
good  market,  St.  Louis  is  a  market  that  uses  all  kinds  and  grades 
of  lumber.  We  have  here,  of  yards,  thirty  pine  yards ;  that  is, 
thirty  parent  concerns,  that  use  probably  sixty  yards.  Then  we 
have  hardwood  yards,  27 ;  ties  and  telegraph  poles,  14 ;  we  have 
18  sawmill  offices  and  57  wholesalers  and  jobbers.  Now,  fac- 
tories :  We  have  furniture,  20 ;  chair  manufacturers,  7 ;  kitchen 
cabinets,  8;  screens^  3;  refrigerator  and  butcher  supplies,  7,  and 
mouldings,  4,  Packing  boxes,  15;  freight  cars  and  street  cars, 
6;  planing  mills  and  sash  and  door  factories,  31;  stair  manufac- 
turers, 5 ;  coffins  and  caskets,  4 ;  interior  finish,  5 ;  bank,  store 
and  office  fixtures,  21;  trunks,  6;  cooperage,  10;  wagon  stock, 
that  is,  hubs,  spokes,  etc.,  3 ;  washing  machines,  2 ;  veneers  and 
crates,  5 ;  and  farm  wagons  and  vehicles,  22.  I  think  that  is  a 
pretty  good  recommendation;  that  when  you  meet  in  St.  Louis, 
you  are  meeting  in  a  place  where  we  believe  in  wood  and  try  to 
promote  wood;  and  I  don't  kn<£w  what  St.  Louis  would  do  if  we 
didn't  have  the  South  as  an  asset  to  draw  these  products  from. 

Now,  as  I  say,  it  has  been  so  long  since  we  have  been  here 
together  at  St.  Louis,  that  I  personally  felt,  in  my  talk  with 
Harry  T.  Kendall,  that  he  had  indeed  lost  the  key  for  the  entry 
into  our  city;  and,  furthermore,  if  you  ever  use  a  password — 
which  I  don't  know  as  you  do — I  was  quite  sure  he  had  also  for- 
gotten that;  and  so  (lifting  from  a  table  on  the  platform  a  very 
large  wooden  key,  and  tendering  it  to  the  Chairman)  I  thought 
I  would  present  Mr.  Kendall  this  morning  a  key  to  the  city.  I 
know  that  your  sessions  are  all  during  the  day,  and  consequently 
I  give  you  the  key  to  the.  city.  I  don't  give  you  the  night-latch  Presentation 
key  (laughter  and  applause.)  I  have  also  here  a  gavel  (taking  ??? 
up  a  polished  and  ornamented  wooden  gavel,  and  also  presenting  it 
to  the  Chairman).  The  handle  of  this  gavel  and  the  turned  part 
is  made  of  long  leaf  yellow  pine,  denoting,  as  you  know,  immense 
strength.  The  tips  of  the  gavel  are  made  of  maple,  denoting,  as 
you  know,  endurance.  On  the  end  of  it  I  have,  "S  O  S,"  which  is 
the  body  of  gentlemen  that  are  assembled  here,  and  denotes  in- 
telligence, or  a  school  of  salesmanship  where  we  want  intelligence 
to  win.  A  gavel  is  used  at  meetings  for  a  matter  of  discipline. 
It  means,  when  wielded  properly  in  the  hands  of  a  chairman, 
equal  justice  to  all.  In  presenting  it  to  Mr.  Kendall  I  know  that 
he  will  wield  it  in  the  interests  of  lumber.  When,  therefore,  you 


10 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Response  to 
Address  of 
Welcome 


The  Purpose 
of  the  Meeting 


have  intelligence,  fostered  by  education,  and  you  have  strength  of 
purpose  in  your  convictions  also,  backed  up  by  endurance — for 
this  is  only  the  initial  meeting,  and  we  must  persist  in  attend- 
ing these  meetings,  if  we  intend  to  endure — all  of  these 
qualifications,  when  in  the  hand  of  a  proper  chairman  will  mean, 
instead  of  school  of  salesmanship,  SOS  will  mean,  hereafter, 
SOS,  standing  for  Sure  of  Success.  I  present  this  to  Mr.  Ken- 
dall with  my  heartiest  wishes.  You  know  I  have  always  been  for 
lumber.  I  wish  you  God  speed  in  your  deliberations.  .  And  I  want 
you  to  understand  that  St.  Louis  will  always  welcome  you.  We 
will  do  all  we  can  to  bring  you  back.  I  desire  to  thank  you  all  for 
your  attention.  (Applause.) 

The  Chairman:  Mr.  Funck,  and  Mr.  Seidel,  the  Southern 
Pine  Association  and  the  School  of  Salesmanship  greatly  ap- 
preciate the  welcome  which  you  have  extended  to  us.  We  are 
very  glad  to  be  in  St.  Louis,  because  we  wanted  to  come  to  St. 
Louis,  and  because  St.  Louis  is  the  logical  place  to  come  to.  We 
have  not  failed  to  appreciate  the  size  of  your  lumber  market,  nor 
the  importance  of  St.  Louis  to  the  Yellow  Pine  industry.  We  are 
exceedingly  glad  to  be  with  you,  and  I  wish  to  particularly  thank 
you  for  your  thoughtfulness  in  presenting  us  with  the  gavel  to 
be  used  during  our  deliberations.  •  And  I  sincerely  hope  that  if 
future  meetings  of  this  character  are  held,  that  we  may  come  to 
St.  Louis.  The  Southern  Pine  Association  desires  that  the  pur- 
poses of  this  meeting  be  fully  understood,  and  that  the  lines  along 
which  it  is  conducted  be  in  strict  accordance  with  those  purposes. 
In  order  that  this  may  be  done,  I  desire  to  read  a  paper  covering 
briefly  what  we  are  here  to  do. 

The  School  of  Salesmanship  was  born  of  the  Southern  Pine 
Association's  purpose  to  increase  the  use  of  yellow  pine  in  this 
and  foreign  countries  and  thereby  advance  the  yellow  pine  in- 
dustry. 

This  to  be  done  in  strict  conformity  with  well  established 
business  principles  and  in  perfect  compliance  with  all  laws,  rules, 
and  regulations  of  an  honorable  business,  with  the  highest  stand- 
ards of  probity  and  business  integrity. 

Three  guiding  stars  to  the  School  of  Salesmanship  will 
occur  to  every  thoughtful  person. 

First — The  unquestioned  integrity  of  the  salesman  with  un- 
blemished reputation,  and  the  School  behind  him  ever  urging  on 


SELLING     LUMBER  11 

to  increased  activity  and  successful  achievements. 

Second — The  knowledge  that  he  is  offering  to  the  consumer 
an  article  of  trade  beyond  compare  with  all  other  commodities. 

Third — The  new  uses  and  purposes  to  which  the  same  is 
continually  adapted,  in  a  majority  of  instances  heretofore  un- 
known. 

With  these  standards,  business  will  be  augmented  and  the 
price  regulated  by  a  proper  appreciation  of  the  advantages  and 
uses  of  yellow  pine,  resulting  in  increased  demand  and  general 
consumption. 

The  Chairman :  When  the  Southern  Pine  Association  offered 
its  services  to  the  Yellow  Pine  industry,  the  stockholders  of  the 
corporation  in  their  prospectus,  offered  to  do  certain  things.  They 
have  done  these  things  and  many  more,  but  one  of  the  greatest 
things  the  Southern  Pine  Association  did  for  the  industry  was 
one  off^the  things  not  noted  in  the  prospectus,  namely  the  giving 
to  the  industry  the  time  and  brain  of  its  first  president.  Only 
those  who  have  been  more  closely  associated  with  the  Southern 
Pine  Association  know  how  much  the  Association  demanded  of  its  President 
president,  and  how  much  more  zvas  given.  If  there  is  anything  to  introduced 
the  saying  that  "He  who  profits  most  serves  most,"  it  would  not 
be  possible  to  measure  the  return  that  should  properly  reach  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Keith.  Mr.  Keith  is  not  only  a  man  of  large  vision, 
but  a  man  with  the  ability  and  decision  to  execute  his  ideas.  He  is 
known  to  all  of  you  by  name  and  most  of  you  personally.  To 
those  who  do  not  know  him  permit  me  to  introduce  Mr.  Keith 
as  organizer  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  and  its  first  presi- 
dent. 

Mr.  Keith :     I  wish  to  take  this  occasion  to  say  that  it  affords 

me  great  pleasure  to  look  into  the  faces  of  the  men  in  whose  hands 

the  destiny  of  our  cmnpanies  rest.    That  may  seem  to  you  to  be  a 

big  order,  but  the   first  instruction  that  I  had  when  I  started  in 

to  sell  the  product  of  our  company  was  that  the  profits  of  the 

company  rested  with  me.     Our  company  then  pursued  the  practice? 

;  which  it  still  pursues,  of  charging  to  its  sales  department  the  costj 

jof  the  production  and  cost  of  manufacturing,  leaving  no  earning 

for  that  department,  whatever,  but  leaving  all  the  earnings  in  the 

•hands   of   the   sales   department,   and   the   sales   manager   is    held 

responsible  entirely  for  the  results.     I  want  to  impress  upon  you 


12 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Mr.  Keith 
Talks  on 
Organization 


The  Purpose 
In  Organizing 
The  Southern 
Pine  Associa- 
tion 


The  Task  of 

Educating 

Ourselves 


gentlemen  here,  that  there  is  where  the  greatest  need  of  our  trade 
rests  today.  I  want  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  many 
of  us  have  reached  the  conclusion  that  our  loyalty  rests  more  with 
our  trade  than  it  does  with  our  company;  but  I  think  our  loyalty 
rests  with  each. 

I  sometimes  think  it  a  disadvantage  to  which  the  lumber  sales- 
man is  subjected,,  that  he  has  no  knowledge  as  to  what  the  lumber 
he  is  selling  costs.  His  employer  has  no  knowledge  of  that.  We 
know  what  it  costs  to  produce  a  thousand  feet  of  lumber,  but 
we  do  not  know  what  it  costs  for  the  various  items  we  are  sell- 
ing; and  consequently  we  are  in  competition,  selling  our  product 
on  the  representation  which  our  trade  makes  as  to  what  someone 
else  is  willing  to  sell  it  for. 

The  Southern  Pine  Association  was  organized  for  the  purpose 
of  educating  ourselves  and  the  public.  We  were  confronted  with 
a  situation  where  everybody  believed  there  existed  in  this  coun- 
try a  lumber  trust,  though  each  one  of  us  knew  that  in  tfce  past 
ten  years,  had  we  properly  accounted  our  costs,  there  was  not  a 
man  in  the  business  who  had  made  a  dollar. 

So,  the  first  thing  we  had  to  do  was  to  undertake  to  con- 
vince the  public  that  there  was  no  lumber  trust.  That  we  under- 
took to  do  in  a  campaign  of  publicity  and  advertising,  and  by 
presentation  of  the  facts  of  our  industry  before  the  Federal  Trade 
Commission,  bringing  out  in  detail,  clearly  and  plainly,  the  eco- 
nomic condition  of  our  industry,  and  we  have  accomplished  that 
purpose;  we  have  not  seen  anything  in  the  papers  now  for  over  a 
year  of  the  lumber  trust.  I  think  we  have  educated  the  public, 
and  I  certainly  believe  that  we  have  succeeded  in  impressing  the 
Federal  Trade  Commission  with  the  facts  concerning  our  in- 
dustry. 

Along  with  this  work  comes  the  question  of  educating  our- 
selves ;  educating  the  manufacturer,  and  through  the  manufacturer 
educating  his  salesmen.  We  did  not  know  the  volume  of  business 
that  was  done,  the  amount  of  lumber  that  was  manufactured,  nor 
any  of  the  economic  conditions  of  our  business.  Today  we  have 
that  information;  not  as  fully  as  we  would  like  to  have  it,  but 
at  the  same  time  more  fully  than  we  have  ever  had  it  before.  In 
the  future,  instead  of  representative  information,  we  hope  to 
have  accurate  and  full  information.  There  is  a  distinction  between 
the  two.  For  instance,  in  our  Association  today  we  have  manu- 


SELLING     LUMBER  13 

facturers  representing  practically  one-half  of  the  entire  production 
of  Yellow  Pine,  and  the  information  secured  from  them  is  repre- 
sentative. If  we  had  them  all,  we  would  have  accurate  informa- 
tion. There  are  many  thousands  of  feet  of  lumber  produced  of 
which  we  have  no  information  whatever,  and  we  can  only  judge 
from  the  information  that  we  have  as  to  what  the  situation  as 
a  whole  may  be,  and  our  judgment  in  that  direction  may  be  more 
or  less  wrong,  because  it  is  not  full  and  complete. 

The  next  thought  was  to  educate  ourselves  as  to  what  it  costs 
to  produce  our  lumber  on  a  system  of  uniform  method  of  ac- 
counting. We  entered  into  that  campaign,  and  today  we  have 
some  eighty  companies  which  are  accounting  their  costs  on  a 
uniform  basis,  and  we  know  to  that  extent  what  the  cost  of  pro- 
duction is.  But  that  is  simply  the  initial  step.  We  must  go 
further.  We  do  not  all  use  the  same  charges.  For  instance,  in 
our  cost  of  stumpage,  our  stumpage  charges  range  from  $2  to  $7 
per  thousand.  We  know  that  $2  is  not  enough,  and  our  judgment 
is  that  $7  is  nearer  right  than  $2,  because  we  cannot  replace  our 
stumpage  at  a  value  which  is  very  much  less  than  the  latter 
figure ;  and  those  who  have  bought  their  stumpage  in  the  last  four 
or  five  years  at  values  ranging  from  $4.50  to  $5.50,  find  them- 
selves confronted  today  with  a  cost  of  practically  $7.  Then  there  A  Start 
is  the  question  of  overrun  and  the  method  of  measurement.  Our 
stumpage  account  shows  that  our  overrun  ranges  from  5  to  58^  ing  Methods 
per  cent.  We  have  reason  to  believe  that  5  per  cent  is  not  correct, 
and  that  58^  per  cent  is  not  correct,  either;  but  that  the  aver- 
age yield  in  board  measure  over  log  scale  is  approximately  19 
per  cent.  So  it  is  out  of  line,  as  between  5  per  cent  and  58  per 
cent,  showing  a  difference,  at  the  same  charge  for  stumpage 
(using  $6.00  as  a  basis)  of  $1.50  per  thousand  in  the  finished  cost 
of  manufacture;  and  yet  it  is  merely  a  question  of  method  of 
measuring  your  stumpage.  There  is  no  such  difference  in  the 
actual  cost  of  the  finished  product.  We  hope  to  succeed  in  our 
effort  to  bring  about,  first,  a  uniform  charge  for  stumpage;  and 
second,  a  uniform  method  of  measuring  our  stumpage,  so  that 
we  may  be  able  to  have  something  approaching  or  approximating 
accurate  cost  in  that  direction. 

After  we  have  secured  that,  the  next  question  that  confronts 
us  is  the  question  of  taking  into  our  costs  our  proper  fixed 
charges :  interest  on  our  investment,  taxes,  insurance,  sales,  the 


14 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Question 
of  Proper 
Fixed  Charges 


The  Problem 
of  Getting  a 
Profit 


Denied  the 
Use  of 
Remedies 


manufacturing  cost  and  selling  cost,  so  that  we  may  arrive  finally 
at  the  average  cost;  and  we  will  then  have  simply  gotten  to  a 
starting  point  in  the  securing  of  the  average  cost  of  manufacturing 
the  entire  product.  Beyond  that  is  the  question  of  distribution — 
of  the  average  cost  of  manufacture  to  each  item  produced. 

And  then  our  thought  is  to  bring  home  to  you,  to  bring  home 
to  our  sales  departments,  this  fact,  that  we  must  have  a  yield ;  that 
we  must  have  a  percentage  return  on  our  investment.  It  would 
be  well  to  illustrate  just  what  we  mean  here.  Assuming  that 
today  it  would  cost  $6.00  per  thousand  to  buy  the  tract  of  timber 
we  are  going  to  operate,  and  $1.25  per  thousand  to  develop  it, 
and  that  we  are  going  to  have  a  ten-year  operation  for  a  thirty 
million  feet  capacity  plant,  in  such  a  case  we  would  have  an  in- 
vestment of  $1,800,000  in  timber,  and  we  would  have  $375,000  in 
the  plant  account,  or,  say,  a  $2,100,000  total  investment.  Now,  in 
order  to  secure  a  reasonable  return,  we  should  have  at  least  10 
per  cent  on  our  money,  as  money  is  worth  6  per  cent  anywhere 
you  put  it,  which  would  be  $210,000  as  a  return  on  an  investment 
of  $2,100,000;  and  on  an  output  of  thirty  million  feet  we  would 
have  to  have  $7.00  per  thousand  over  and  above  the  manufactur- 
ing cost  of  $14.50,  or  $21.50  per  thousand,  in  order  to  make  this 
investment  yield  us  a  return  of  10  per  cent. 

In  the  past  we  have  seen  the  value  of  stumpage  in  the  South 
range  from  $3.00  per  acre  to  $90.00  per  acre,  and  this  increase 
in  the  value  of  our  stumpage  has  carried  our  cost  up.  Whereas 
in  1909  our  stumpage  was  worth  $4.00  per  thousand — that  was 
seven  years  ago — today  it  is  worth  $6.00  per  thousand,  having 
advanced  50  per  cent  in  the  past  seven  years.  If  you  will  figure 
your  stumpage  at  its  cost  seven  years  ago  of  $4.00  per  thousand, 
with  interest  and  taxes  compounded,  you  will  find  that  your  cost 
of  this  timber  is  in  excess  of  $6.00  today,  and  in  the  future  that 
situation  is  going  to  become  more  pronounced  than  it  has  in  the 
last  seven  years. 

Now,  after  we  have  secured  all  the  information,  we  are  fre- 
quently unable  to  apply  the  remedy  which  we  should  apply  by 
reason  of  our  failure  or  inability  to  agree  on  some  uniform  method 
of  action.  That  is  due  to  the  present  state  of  our  laws.  We 
have  had  that  situation  in  mind,  and  during  the  campaign  which 
we  have  been  conducting  before  the  Federal  Trade  Commission 
the  thought  occurred  to  a  few  of  us  to  see  if  we  could  not  secure 


SELLING     LUMBER  15 

some  remedial  legislation  to  permit  in  this  country  the  German 
cartel  system  as  relates  to  the  primary  natural  resources,  with 
the  idea  that  it  might  be  extended  to  include  all  lines  of  business. 
I  think  we  are  daily  impressed  with  the  efficiency  which  the  Ger- 
mans have  brought  about,  not  only  from  a  military  point  of  view, 
but  from  an  economic  point  of  view  as  well. 

With    that   ideal   in   view,    I   had   the   pleasure   of   sitting   in 
council    in    Washington   on   the   5th    of   last   month,    representing 
several   of   the  committee  of   the   Chamber   of   Commerce   of   the 
United  States  of  America,  in  conjunction  with  the  Federation  of 
Labor,   and  there  we  agreed  to  seek  to  secure  legislation  to  per- 
mit   of    co-operative    agreements    in    all    industries    involving    the  ^  Plan  to 
primary  natural  resources.      (Applause.)     At  that  council  a  sub-  Enlist  Govern- 
committee  was  appointed,  the  members  of  which  agreed  on  a  bill  mentAid 
which  represented  concretely  their  thought ;  the  provisions  of  which 
are  to  the  effect  that  all  the  primary  natural  resources — but  per- 
haps it  would  be  better  for  me  to  read  this  proposed  bill  rather 
than  to  try  to  repeat  it  from  memory.     Our  idea  was  to  amend 
the   Federal  Trade   Commission   act   to   permit  of  this   condition, 
so  that  such  agreements  would  be  under  governmental  regulation 
in  .the  interests  of  the  public.     (Reading.) 

AN  ACT. 

To  amend  the  Federal  Trade  Commission  Act  by  permitting 

under  its  jurisdiction  agreements  between  industries  en-   Text  of 

gaged  in  the  development  of  natural  resources  in  order    Proposed 

,  IT          j  1  Amendment 

to  conserve  such  resources,  protect  human  life,  and  lessen 

accidents. 

Be  it  Enacted  by  the  Senate  and  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  Congress  Assembled,  That  Section  11  of  the  Act 
entitled  "An  Act  to  create  a  Federal  Trade  Commission,  to 
define  its  powers  and  duties,  and  for  other  purposes,"  ap- 
proved September  26th,  1914,  is  hereby  amended  by  addition 
of  the  words,  "except  as  hereinafter  provided/'  so  as  to  read 
as  follows : 

"Sec.  11.  Nothing  contained  in  this  Act  shall  be  con- 
strued to  prevent  or  interfere  with  the  enforcement  of  the 
provisions  of  the  anti-trust  Acts  or  the  Acts  to  regulate 
commerce,  nor  shall  anything  contained  in  the  Act  be  con- 
strued to  alter,  modify  or  repeal  the  said  anti-trust  Act  or  the 


16  SELLING     LUMBER 

Acts  to  regulate  commerce,  or  any  part  or  parts  thereof,  ex- 
cept as  hereinafter  provided." 

Sec.  2.  That  the  Act  entitled  "An  Act  to  create  a 
Federal  Trade  Commission,  to  define  its  powers  and  duties, 
and  for  other  purposes,"  approved  September  26th,  1914,  is 
hereby  further  amended  by  the  addition  of  the  following  sec- 
tions : 

Sec.  12.  That  ores  and  deposits  of  precious  and  useful 
metals,  minerals  which  are  a  source  of  heat,  light,  or  power, 
and  timber,  together  with  the  immediate  products  of  said  ores, 
deposits,  minerals,  and  timber  through  which  same  first  be- 
come available  for  beneficial  utilization,  are  hereby  defined 
for  the  purposes  of  Sections  12  and  13  of  this  Act  as 
national  resources,  and  their  efficient  utilization  in  the  in- 
dustries, arts,  and  sciences  is  hereby  declared  to  be  in  the 
public  interest. 

Sec.  13.  Contracts  and  agreements  among  persons,  as- 
sociations, or  -corporations  engaged  in  developing  national 
resources  as  articles  of  commerce  among  the  several  states 
shall  be  lawful  when  such  contracts  and  agreements  tend  to 
utilize  and  conserve  the  national  resources,,  protect  human 
life,  lessen  accidents,  and  further  the  public  interest;  Pro- 
vided, That  such  contracts  and  agreements  shall  have  been 
filed  with  the  commission  at  least  sixty  days  in  advance  of 
the  date  of  their  effect,  and  shall  have  been  accompanied 
by  a  statement  of  the  situation  resulting  in  the  contract  or 
agreement  and  the  purposes  to  be  accomplished  thereby ;  all 
such  contracts,  agreements,  and  statements  filed  with  the 
commission  shall  be  public  records,  accessible  during  ordinary 
business  hours ;  Provided  further,  That  whenever  the  com- 
mission shall  have  reason  to  believe,  either  because  of  its 
own  investigations  or  because  of  complaint  made  to  it  by 
any  person,  that  any  such  contract  or  agreement  does  not 
in  fact  tend  to  utilize  and  conserve  the  national  resources, 
protect  human  life,  lessen  accidents,  or  further  the  public 
interest,  it  shall  issue  and  serve  upon  the  parties  thereto  a 
notice  to  show  cause  why  the  contract  or  agreement  should 
not  be  declared  as  outside  the  provisions  of  Sections  12  and 
13  of  this  Act.  If  upon  such  hearing  the  commission  shall 
be  of  the  opinion  that  the  contract  or  agreement  in  ques- 


SELLING     LUMBER  17 

tion  is  outside  the  provisions  of  Sections  12  and  13  of  this 
Act,  it  shall  issue  its  order  to  that  effect,  make  a  report  in 
writing,  and  serve  copies  of  the  order  and  report  upon  the 
parties  to  the  contract  or  agreement. 

If  you  will  notice,  in  the  platforms  of  both  the  Democratic 
and  Republican  parties  this  thought  is  included  under  the  heading 
of   "Conservation."     Last  week  at   the  meeting  of   the  board   of 
directors  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United   States  of 
America    in    Minneapolis,    the    board    approved    the    action    of    its    A  Step 
committee,  and  the  matter  has  now  been  ordered  to  a  referendum,    stabilizing 
But  this  is  simply  a  starting  point.     After  we  secure  the  desired   the  Lumber 
remedial  legislation,  then  we  can  take  the  necessary  steps  to  enter 
into  a  contract,   under  government   regulation,   so   as   to   stabilize 
our  industry  and  put  it  on  its  feet. 

Gentlemen,  I  regret  that  I  did  not  have  time  to  prepare  for 
you  a  co-ordinated  talk,  but  before  passing  I  want  to  carry  to  your 
minds  one  further  thought,  and  that  is :  At  the  beginning  of  the 
last  century  in  all  of  our  transportation  facilities  our  power  was 
hand  power,  wind  power  and  water  power.  There  was  no  such 
thing  as  steam  and  electricity.  With  the  advent  of  steam  and 
electricity  has  come  the  development  of  transportation  and  com- 
munication to  such  an  extent  that  now  all  parts  of  the  world  are  in 
immediate  communication  with  each  other.  In  the  earlier  days  in-  Times 
dividualism  was  the  cry.  The  old  saw,  that  "Competition  Is  the  Change  in 
Life  of  Trade,"  had  some  truth  in  it  at  that  time.  Today  com-  Conditions 
petition,  unintelligent  competition,  such  as  we  have  been  forced  to 
have,  through  the  improper  understanding  of  our  economic  con- 
ditions, enforced  upon  us  by  our  lawmakers,  has  practically  had 
the  effect  of  injuring  very  nearly  all  lines  of  trade.  To  my  mind, 
this  is  especially  emphasized  in  the  findings  of  the  Federal  Trade 
Commission  as  quoted  below  from  an  address  of  Mr.  E.  N.  Hur- 
ley before  the  Public  Affairs  Committee  of  the  Kansas  City  Com- 
mercial Club  on  June  26th,  1916: 

"Leaving  out  of  consideration  the  banking,  railroad  and 
public  utilities  corporations,  and  referring  only  to  those  that 
have  to  do  with  trade  and  industry,  we  find  that  there  are 
about  250,000  business  corporations  in  the  country.  The 
astonishing  thing  is  that  over  100,000  of  these  report  no  net 
income  whatever.  In  addition,  90,000  make  less  than  $5,000 


18 


SELLING     LUMBER 


No  Secrets 
in  the  Lumber 
Business 


A  Welcome 
to  Visitors 


Mr.  Rhodes 
Is  Introduced 


a  year,  while  only  the  60,000  remaining,  the  more  successful 

ones,  make  $5,000  a  year  and  over." 

From  this,  it  can  be  readily  seen  that  we  really  have  not 
been  in  a  prosperous  condition ;  and,  furthermore,  we  are  never 
going  to  be  in  a  prosperous  condition  until  we  have  more  co- 
operation and  a  more  complete  understanding  of  our  conditions 
than  we  have  had.  We  will  have  to  bring  that  condition  about  in 
a  perfectly  legal  way,  of  course,  and  we  want  the  co-operation 
of  the  men  who  work  for  us,  the  men  who  sell  our  products.  We 
want  you  to  believe  and  we  want  you  to  think  that  there  are  no 
secrets  in  our  business ;  that  the  more  you  can  talk  to  your  fellow 
salesman,  the  more  you  can  bring  home  to  him  the  prices  at  which 
you  are  selling  your  product  and  the  amount  of  sales  which  you 
are  making,  and  the  more  you  can  help  one  another  (without  any 
agreement  as  to  prices,  but  simply  the  question  as  to  prices  at 
which  your  product  has  been  sold),  the  better  off  we  will  all  be. 
I  believe  we  are  going  to  have  a  better  condition,  a  better  under- 
standing, and  more  profits  in  our  business.  Gentlemen,  I  thank 
you.  (Applause.) 

Mr.  Keith,  after  retiring,  again  advanced  to  the  front  of 
the  stage  and  said : 

I  wish  to  say,  as  President  of  the  Southern  Pine  Associa- 
tion, that  we  greatly  appreciate  the  presence  in  our  midst  today 
of  our  brothers  from  the  other  branches  of  the  industry,  and 
we  wish  to  extend  to  them  our  cordial  welcome. 

The  Chairman:  No  matter  how  brilliant  the  chief  of  staff, 
or  how  far-reaching  the  president,  he  must  have  a  field  manage- 
ment. The  Southern  Pine  Association  is  exceedingly  fortunate  in 
being  able  to  command  the  services  of  Mr.  John  E.  Rhodes.  Mr. 
Rhodes  came  to  the  Southern  Pine  Association  with  years  of 
training,  and  success  immediately  followed  his  "Service"  banner. 
It  is  going  to  be  my  pleasure  to  introduce  Mr.  Rhodes  to  you,  but 
this  introduction  will  serve  only  to  introduce  Mr.  Rhodes  to  you, 
and  not  you  to  Mr.  Rhodes.  I  would  like  very  much  if  all  of 
you,  some  time  during  the  meeting,  would  take  time  to  go  to 
Mr.  Rhodes  and  introduce  yourselves  to  him  and  assure  him  that 
you  are  back  of  him  in  the  great  work  he  is  endeavoring  to  do 
for  the  Yellow  Pine  industry.  Mr.  Rhodes!  (Applause.) 

Mr.  Rhodes:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen — I  greatly  appre- 
ciate the  introduction  of  the  chairman.  Needless  to  say,  it  will 


SELLING     LUMBER 


19 


give  me  very  great  pleasure  indeed  to  meet  as  many  of  those 
attending  the  school  as  possible.  I  shall  speak  to  you  briefly 
upon  what  the  Southern  Pine  Association  is. 

(See  Mr.  Rhodes's  address  in  full,  page  115). 

Mr.  Seidel :  Gentlemen,  there  was  an  omission  on  my  part, 
rather  inadvertently.  But  in  order  to  be  fair  to  the  lumber  in- 
terests, I  ask  leave  to  state  that  the  handle  of  this  gravel  is  of 
long  leaf  yellow  pine,  denoting  strength ;  and  it  is  almost  un- 
necessary for  me  to  say  that  the  head  of  the  gavel  is  Arkansas 
Yellow  Pine,  denoting  beauty.  (Applause.) 

The  Chairman :  I  want  to  further  what  Mr.  Rhodes  said 
about  the  distribution  of  literature,  and  to  particularly  ask  that 
all  of  you  look  over  the  tables  containing  literature  in  the  foyer 
of  the  theater.  You  will  find  a  great  deal  of  literature  that  has 
to  do  with  some  of  the  very  technical  papers*  that  will  follow  in 
this  program,  a  good  deal  of  information  that  would  be  too  tech- 
nical to  give  you  in  any  other  way  except  in  printed  form.  You 
will  also  note,  at  the  entrance  of  the  theater,  a  question  box.  We 
will  ask  that  all  of  you  put  in  this  box  any  question  that  may 
occur  to  you  that  you  would  like  to  have  answered.  We  intend 
to  refer  these  questions  to  a  board  of  examiners,  and  we  will  en- 
deavor to  have  each  question  answered  by  an  expert.  For  ex- 
ample, we  are  referring  all  engineering  questions  to  Dr.  Hermann 
von  Schrenk,  questions  involving  grades  and  inspection  to  Mr. 
J.  E.  Jones,  other  questions  to  Mr.  Sterling,  and  so  on,  and  each 
question  will  be  answered  by  an  expert  in  his  particular  line.  To 
give  you  an  example  of  the  kind  of  questions  we  are  getting,  I 
want  to  read  a  few  that  have  already  been  handed  in.  Now,  we 
will  not  agree  to  answer  all  of  these  questions,  and  furthermore, 
we  know  that  perhaps  some  of  our  answers  will  either  not  be 
complete,  or,  perhaps,  exact,  in  accordance  with  the  information 
that  you  have  given  us.  We  are  going  to  submit  a  great  many  of 
these  questions  to  you  as  a  body,  for  your  discussion,  because 
we  are  having  questions  already  handed  in  that  cannot  be  an- 
swered except  by  the  salesmen  themselves.  Here  are  some  of  the 
questions : 

What  specifications  are  to  govern :  Those  written  by  the 
salesman  and  on  the  copy  left  with  the  buyer,  or  the  buyer's 
confirmation  ? 


An  Invitation 
to  Ask 
Questions 


20 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Samples  of 

Queries 

Receiv.ed 


On  an  order  sent  in  by  a  salesman  is  it  better  to  write 
the  customer  or  the  salesman  in  case  the  sales  office  wishes 
to  make  any  correction  or  seeks  any  additional  information 
before  entering  the  order? 

Why  is  a  1x6  worth  more  than  a  2x6  of  the  same  grade? 

Does  treatment  of  wood  increase  its  strength  or  durabil- 
ity? If  either,  why? 

What  relation  has  pitch  to  the  durability  of  timber? 

What  is  the  advantage  to  the  mill  in  dressing  common 
boards  two  sides  instead  of  one  side? 

What  does  it  cost  to  trim  lumber  from  standard  length? 

Why  is  a  2x4—12  listed  higher  than  a  2x4—14  and  16? 

What  is  summer  wood? 

Why  should  orders  be  signed  by  purchasers  ? 

What  are  the  best  methods  of  finishing  Yellow  Pine  for 
interior  use? 

Why  don't  Yellow  Pine  mills  match  their  flooring? 

WThat  is  the  objection  to  specified  lengths  on  moulding? 

What  weight  should  a  salesman  use  when  selling  stock 
surfaced  two. sides,  and  one  inch  thick,  and  sold  as  one  inch 
common  ? 

How  soon  should  an  order  for  ordinary  yard  stock  be 
shipped  to  come  within  the  meaning  of  "prompt  shipment  ?" 

Now,  gentlemen,  I  presume  that  you  all  have  some  questions, 
and  we  will  attempt  to  answer  all  of  them  at  the  conclusion  of 
our  set  program,  when  we  are  going  to  throw  the  meeting  open 
for  general  discussion.  The  gentlemen  to  whom  these  questions 
are  referred  will  come  on  the  platform  and  answer  the  question. 
If  you  have  any  suggestions  to  make,  we  want  you  to  get  right 
up  and  tell  us  what  is  what,  because  there  are  a  great  many 
problems  here  we  would  like  to  solve,  if  possible. 

I  want  to  call  your  attention  to  the  banquet  tonight.  I  be- 
lieve you  are  going  to  see  the  very  best  show  that  was  ever  put 
on  in  the  lumber  business.  The  newspaper  men  have  been  here 
ever  since  Tuesday  arranging  a  program  for  this  affair.  It  is 
going  to  be  a  very  elaborate  program,  and  although  it  may  keep 
you  all  up  pretty  late,  I  think  you  will  be  repaid  for  the  invest- 
ment of  time. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


21 


I  also  wish  to  say  that  there  will  be  a  meeting  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Sales  and  Distribution  immediately  after  the  conclusion 
of  this  session. 

I  thought  I  was  going  to  be  compelled  to  disappoint  you  gen- 
tlemen this  morning,  in  announcing  the  inability  of  Mr,  W.  H. 
Sullivan  to  come  to  the  school,  on  account  of  some  unfortunate 
matters  that  came  up  at  the  last  moment,  and  we  had  arranged 
for  another  speaker  to  present  his  subject.  Mr.  Sullivan,  how- 
ever, has  wired  that  he  will  be  here  Wednesday,  and  we  will  post- 
pone his  paper  until  he  can  be  here  to  address  you  himself,  as 
I  want  to  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  him  to  you,  because  he 
is  the  chairman  of  the  Trade  Extension  Committee  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, and  a  man  who  has  in  his  charge  a  great  number  of 
Association  activities. 

When  the  committee  began  to  seek  some  one  in  the  lumber 
industry  to  address  you  on  Salesmanship,  among  those  we  were 
advised  strongly  not  to  overlook  was  Dr.  Stanley  L.  Krebs,  of 
the  Institute  of  Mercantile  Art,  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Krebs  came  to 
Houston  the  early  part  of  this  year  and  delivered  the  same  ad- 
dress he  will  deliver  here.  The  citizens  of  Houston  were  so  taken 
up  with  Dr.  Krebs  and  his  work  that  they  immediately  arranged 
for  him  to  come  back  to  Houston  and  deliver  a  series  of  lectures 
covering  a  two  weeks  period.  I  believe  you  will  all  be  amply 
repaid  for  giving  Dr.  Krebs  the  closest  attention.  The  Doctor  has 
had  charge  of  large  sales  organizations,  and  is  familiar  with  the 
mode  of  making  sales  from  start  to  finish,  and  you  can't  put 
anything  over  on  the  Doctor.  (Applause.) 

Dr.  Krebs :  Mr.  President,  Members  of  the  Southern  Pine 
Salesmen's  Association,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen : — I  don't  believe 
I  have  overlooked  any  fool  present.  "What  fools  we  mortals  be," 
at  any  rate,  as  the  great  poet  said. 

(Dr.  Krebs's  address  in  full,  page  124). 

The  Chairman :  I  am  sure  I  don't  know  how  we  can  thank 
Dr.  Krebs  for  what  he  has  said. 

Mr.  Hines :  I  would  like  to  move  now  a  rising  vote  of  thanks 
to  the  Doctor. 

The  Chairman :  You  have  heard  Mr.  Hines'  motion,  gentle- 
men. I  am  ?ure  it  will  be  made  unanimous.  All  those  in  favor  of 
giving  the  Doctor  a  vote  of  thanks  will  please  stand  up. 

(All  stand  and  applaud.) 


Introducing 
Dr.  Krebs 


A  Vote  of 
Thanks  for 
Dr.  Krebs 


22 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Dr.  von 
Schrenk 
Answers 
Questions 


The  Chairman:  As  I  started  to  say,  before  Mr.  Hines  so 
thoughtfully  provided  for  the  vote  of  thanks  for  the  Doctor,  I 
don't  know  how  the  school  of  salesmanship  can  thank  him.  But  I 
do  think  that-  the  people  of  Houston  are  going  to  be  very  fortunate 
next  October,  when  he  is  going  to  be  with  us  for  two  weeks. 

Dr.  Krebs :     Thank  you,  Mr.  Kendall. 

The  Chairman :  I  wish  to  say  that  those  who  have  not  se- 
cured banquet  tickets  had  better  do  so  immediately.  There  are 
only  four  hundred  tickets.  No  reservations  will  be  held  after  1 :00 
o'clock,  as  the  lumbermen  of  St.  Louis  desire  to  take  up  all  of 
the  unsold  seats.  You  can  get  the  banquet  tickets  only  in  the 
foyer  from  now  on.  Gentlemen,  we  stand  adjourned  until  2:00 
o'clock — and  please  be  prompt. 

(At  this  point,  at  12 :40  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  school  took  a  recess 
until  2 :00  o'clock  p.  m.  of  the  same  day.) 

AFTERNOON  SESSION. 
Monday,  June  26,  1916. 

At  2 :00  o'clock  p.  m.  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Harry 
T.  Kendall,  Chairman. 

The  Chairman :  Gentlemen,  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  introduce 
to  you  Dr.  Hermann  von  Schrenk,  consulting  engineer  of  the  South- 
ern Pine  Association,  who  will  read  and  proceed  to  answer  cer- 
tain of  the  questions  that  have  been  placed  in  the  question  box. 

(Applause.) 

Dr.  von  Schrenk:  Does  the  treatment  of  wood  increase  its 
strength  and  durability?  If  either,  why? 

The  answer  to  that  is,  that  no  treatment  will  increase  the 
strength.  The  inherent  strength  of  wood  fibre  cannot  be  increased 
by  any  process  of  treatment  beyond  that  which  it  originally  has. 
As  to  durability,  practically  every  acceptable  form  of  chemical  pres- 
ervation will  increase  its  durability.  I  will  have  a  good  deal  more 
to  say  in  answering  that  question  tomorrow.  In  general,  I  might 
say  that  if  wood  is  properly  treated  chemically,  its  durability  may 
be  increased  anywhere  from  twice  to  an  indefinite  length  of  life. 

Second  question :  What  relation  has  pitch  to  the  durability  of 
timber  ? 

In  general  it  may  be  said  that  pitch,  in  and  of  itself,  has  no 
relation  to  the  increase  or  decrease  of  the  durability  of  timber.  If 
the  pitch  percentage  cease  at  ten  or  fifteen  per  cent,  or  more,  as  in 
cut  pieces  from  turpentine  logs,  the  durability  would  be  very  ma- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


23 


terially  increased;  but  to  take  pitch  as  a  standard  of  durability 
at  the  present  time,  so  far  as  we  know,  is  impracticable. 

What  is  summer  wood? 

A  pine  tree,  as  it  grows,  forms  two  classes  of  wood,  physical 
classes  of  wood,  every  year.  From  the  time  that  the  leaves  start 
to  grow  in  the  spring,  in  March,  until  about  the  latter  part  of  June 
or  July,  it  forms  a  light-colored,  very  porous  class  of  wood,  which  is 
called  spring  wood.  From  about  the  end  of  July  to  the  end  of  the 
season's  growth  it  forms  a  very  much  denser  class  of  wood,  which, 
as  you  look  at  it  in  cross-section,  is  dark,  more  or  less  resinous, 
flinty  when  you  cut  it  with  a  knife,  and  that  part  is  called  summer 
wood.  In  other  words,  each  annual  ring  is  composed  of  two  dif- 
ferent bands — a  light-colored  band  of  spring  wood,  and  a  dark- 
colored,  hard,  resinous  band  called  summer  wood.  It  is  essentially 
the  summer  wood  which  gives  the  high  strength  value  to  different 
classes  of  pine.  The  higher  the  percentage  of  summer  wood  in  the 
ring,  the  stronger  the  stick. 

Why  is  heart  stock  more  suitable  for  construction  when  used 
in  moist  places? 

The  answer  to  that  is,  the  relative  resisting  power  of  heart 
and  sap  wood.  Sap  wood,  of  practically  all  species  of  pine,  when 
used  in  construction  work,  would  decay  in  a  comparatively  short 
time.  If  it  is  subjected  to  moisture  at  all,  it  probably  will  not 
last  more  than  three  or  four  years,  particularly  in  the  Southern 
states.  Heart  wood,  on  the  other  hand,  has  a  much  higher  resisting 
power,  and  that  is  true,  irrespective  of  whether  it  is  loblolly,  short 
leaf  pine,  long  leaf  pine,  Cuban  pine,  or  what  not.  Hence,  when 
more  or  less  permanent  structures  are  built,  the  specifications 
usually  require  that  the  sticks  shall  be  almost  wholly  of  heart 
wood. 

How  is  a  salesman  to  determine  the  difference  between  long 
and  short  leaf  after  it  has  been  manufactured? 

The  answer  to  that  is  very  simple.  He  can't  do  it.  (Laughter.) 
Gentlemen,  that  probably  is  one  of  the  most  vexing  problems  which 
the  pine  industry  has  had  to  meet  for  years:  I  trust,  before  the 
end  of  these  sessions,  we  will  hear  a  good  deal  about  the  prac- 
ticability of  applying  the  new  density  rule.  The  pine  tree  growing 
in  the  South,  as  it  grows  is  botanically  divided  into  probably  five 
or  six  species.  The  fibers  of  those  woods  are  practically  identical, 
and  the  only  difference  in  the  timber  is  in  the  per  cent  of  actual 


Strength 
in  Summer 
Wood 


Identifying 
Variety  in 
Lumber 


24 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Identifying 
Species 
"By  the 
Feel" 


Introducing 
Mr.  Nelson 


fiber  per  cubic  foot  of  wood.  In  other  words,  the  physical,  chem- 
ical and  structural  characteristics  of  the  wood  fiber  of  the  individual 
species  is  almost  the  same,  and  they  are  very,  very  difficult  to  sep- 
arate. Consequently,  while  it  is  easy  enough  to  distinguish  between 
a  short  leaf  and  a  long  leaf  piece  in  the  tree,  when  it  has  once  been 
cut  such  characteristics  as  rate  of  growth  and  density  of  wood  pel 
cubic  foot,  when  told  by  the  eye,  are  absolutely  beyond  any  kind  oi 
method  of  determination  accurately — and  I  care  not  who  says  that 
can  be  done.  For  illustration,  some  years  ago  I  had  a  group  of 
thirty  or  forty,  yellow  pine  men  who  told  me  that  they  could  tell 
by  the  feel  of  it.  I  ran  them  up  against  a  pile  of  one  hundred 
logs  around  there,  and  asked  them  to  distinguish  the  long  leaf  from 
the  short  leaf.  I  had  as  many  results  as  there  were  men.  Every 
stick  in  the  pile  was  cut  150  miles  north  of  Ft.  Smith,  Arkansas, 
and  there  was  not  a  long  leaf  or  short  leaf  tree  within  150  miles  of 
the  place.  You  can  tell  anybody  who  asks  you  how  to  determine 
the  difference  between  long  and  short  leaf  pine  after  it  has  been 
made  into  lumber  that  it  can't  be  done.  It  is  physically  impos- 
sible. 

The  Chairman :  I  hope,  gentlemen,  if  any  ether  questions  of 
this  character  occur  to  you,  that  you  will  let  us  have  them  as 
promptly  as  possible,  and  we  will  endeavor  to  answer  just  as  many 
of  them  as  we  can.  It  is  very  apparent,  however,  to  us,  from  the 
number  of  questions  that  are  being  turned  in,  that  it  is  going  to  be 
a  physical  impossibility  for  us  to  attempt  to  answer  them  all  now,  or 
open  them  for  discussion.  We  will,  however,  print  an  answer  to 
every  question  that  we  can  answer  in  the  printed  proceedings,  so  it 
will  give  you  something  to  look  for  when  you  receive  the  volumes. 
From  the  looks  of  things,  the  printed  proceedings  of  this  school  is 
going  to  be  about  the  size  of  a  young  dictionary. 

The  next  speaker  on  the  program — and  we  are  going  to  vary 
some  from  the  printed  program,  owing  to  disappointment — is  a  man 
who  holds  a  very  unique  position  in  the  yellow  pine  industry.  I 
shall  introduce  to  you  Mr.  M.  B.  Nelson,  sales  manager  of  the 
Long-Bell  Lumber  Company,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  a  man  who  has 
sold  more  yellow  pine  than  any  other  one  man  in  the  industry.  I 
can  assure  you  that  Mr.  Nelson  has  held  his  position  through  abil- 
ity; and  what  he  has  to  say  now  on  the  subject  may  be  considered 
as  authoritative.  (Applause.) 


SELLING     LUMBER  25 

Mr.  Nelson  (after  taking  a  drink  of  water)  :  I  am  not  drink- 
ing that  because  I  like  it,  but  just  because  it  had  such  an  effect  on 
Dr.  Krebs.  (Laughter.) 

I  think  Mr.  Kendall  is  very  kind  to  me  when  he  says  I  sold  it. 
I  expect  there  are  some  salesmen  here  that  won't  give  me  credit 
for  that.  (Laughter.) 

(For  Mr.  Nelson's  paper  in  full,  see  page  150). 

The  Chairman:  One  of  the  best  known  organizations  in  the 
yellow  pine  trade  is  the  Arkansas  Soft  Pine  Bureau.  The  members 
of  this  bureau,  who  are  also  members  of  the  Southern  Pine  Asso- 
ciation, have  been  spending  a  great  deal  of  money  to  introduce 
their  products,  and,  incidentally,  the  use  of  yellow  pine  finish 
throughout  the  consuming  territory.  The  manager  of  this  bureau, 
Mr.  R.  H.  Brooks,  will  address  you  on  the  subject  of  yellow  pine 
finish  and  its  possibilities. 

Mr.  Brooks :  Mr.  Funck,  this  morning,  in  addressing  you, 
dwelt  for  a  moment  on  the  subject  of  enthusiasm  for  the  article 
you  sell.  It  is,  however,  important  that  in  becoming  enthusiastic 
over  the  product  you  sell,  you  should  be  pretty  sure  you  are  selling 
it  for  the  purpose  to  which  it  is  adapted.  This  brief  paper  I  am 
going  to  read  you  is  predicated  on  the  thought  that  part  of  your  Mr.  Brooks 
wood  is  best  adapted  to  one  purpose,  and  part  of  it  to  another.  Finish 
In  other  words,  that  short  leaf  makes  a  better  interior  finish  than 
long  leaf,  and  long  leaf  is  better  than  short  leaf  for  outside  work. 
Our  wood  is  short  leaf,  but  you  are  not  to  take  exception  to  the 
comparisons  I  make,  because  these  remarks  are  made  only  in  the 
recognition  of  the  fact  that  we  are  trying  to  emphasize  the  right 
wood  for  the  right  purpose. 

(For  Mr.  Brooks's  paper  in  full,  see  page  277). 

The  Chairman  :    The  subject  on  the  program,  "Painting  Yellow 
Pine,"  by  Mr.  H.  A.  Gardner,  consulting  engineer  of  the  National    ^  Lecture 
Paint  Manufacturers'  Association,  consists  of  a  series  of  lantern    on  Painting 
slides.     Mr.  Rhodes  will  read  Dr.  Gardner's  comments  upon  these 
slides;  and  if  you  will  wait  just  a  minute  we  will  darken  the  house 
and  throw  these  slides  on  a  screen. 

(At  this  point  the  house  was  darkened ;  a  series  of  pictures  was 
thrown  on  a  screen,  and  pan  passu  therewith  Mr.  Rhodes  read  the 
paper  on  "Painting  Yellow  Pine,"  by  Mr.  H.  A.  Gardner,  which 
is  reproduced  in  full  on  page  378.) 


26  SELLINGLUMBER 

The  Chairman :  We  are  very  fortunate  to  have  with  us  today 
one  of  the  busiest  men  in  the  United  States,  who  is  forced  to 
divide  his  time  among  many  engagements.  He  is  editor  of  the 
Salesmanship  Magazine,  one  of  the  most  prominent  magazines  of  its 
character  in  this  country,  and  also  general  chairman  of  the  World's 
Salesmanship  Congress,  which  will  be  held  in  Detroit  next  month. 
We  are  exceedingly  pleased  to  be  able  to  introduce  Mr.  Barrett  to 
you  today,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  give  him  very  good  attention. 
Mr.  Barrett  will  also  tell  you  something  about  the  great  work  he 
is  doing  in  Detroit,  and  the  convention  that  will  be  held  there  next 
month.  (Applause.) 

(Mr.  Barrett's  paper  in  full  will  be  found  on  page  161). 
The  Chairman :  I  am  sure  that  you  all  can  see  why  it  is  that 
Mr.  Barrett  is  general  chairman  of  a  World's  Salesmanship  Con- 
gress. The  program  covering  the  sessions  to  be  held  in  Detroit 
are  in  the  lobby  of  the  theater,  and  I  hope  that  all  of  you  will  take 
a  copy  and  look  it  over.  We  are  very  anxious  to  have  as  many 
yellow  pine  salesmen  at  those  meetings  as  possible.  We  under- 
stand they  are  going  to  have  a  very  interesting  program,  and  they 
have  a  special  lumber  session. 

Now,  gentlemen,  we  are  just  going  to  call  on  one  more  speak- 
T    ,    .    .    er  for  a  short  paper.     We  are  fortunate  to  have  with  us  Mr.  S. 
Training      E.  Robinson  of  Columbus,  who  is  going  to  read  us  a  short  paper 
Lumb  r      on  t^ie  su^iect  "Advantages  of  a  Technical  Training  in  the  Lum- 
Business      ber  Business."    Mr.  Robinson  spent  several  years  in  college  study- 
ing forestry  and  lumber  manufacturing,  and  I  feel  sure  that  his 
remarks  will  be  very  interesting  to  you,  as  to  how  he  put  this  edu- 
cation to  practical  use  in  his  experience.     (Applause). 

(Mr.  Robinson's  paper  in  full  will  be  found  at  page  282). 
The  Chairman:  I  am  sorry  to  have  to  announce  to  you  that 
Mr.  Richard  Lieber  of  Indianapolis  has  wired  us  that  he  is  not 
able  to  come.  If  we  have  time  tomorrow  morning  the  address  on 
"Stumpage  and  Logging  Costs,"  by  Mr.  P.  C.  Rickey,  auditor  of 
the  Long-Bell  Lumber  Company,  Kansas  City,  will  be  read.  It  is 
only  a  short  one,  but  we  want  it  to  be  read  by  the  author,  if  pos- 
sible. 

We  ask  that  you  get  firmly  fixed  in  your  minds  the  time  of 
the  banquet.  The  tickets  are  wrong,  and  the  sign  on  the  stage 
is  wrong.  The  banquet  will  start  at  7 :30.  There  are  450  tickets 
sold,  and  that  is  all  the  seats  there  are  in  the  hall.  The  newspa- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


27 


per  men  refuse  to  tell  me  what  is  on  the  program,  but  they  say 
that  in  order  to  send  it  off  right,  we  have  got  to  all  be  together 
and  go  in  the  hall  at  the  same  time.  So  I  ask  that  you  all  be  at 
the  Planters'  in  time  to  march  into  the  banquet  hall  at  7:30. 

If  there  is  no  further  business  we  will  stand  adjourned  for 
the  day. 

At  this  point,  at  4:40  o;clock  p.  m.,  the  school  of  salesman- 
ship took  an  adjournment  to  9:30  o'clock  a.  m.  on  the  following 
day. 

TUESDAY,   JUNE   27,    1916— FORENOON    SESSION. 

Pursuant  to  previous  adjournment  the  school  of  salesmanship 
reconvened  at  the  American  theater  on  Tuesday,  June  27,  1916. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  at  9:30  o'clock  a.  m.  by 
Harry  T.  Kendall,  chairman. 

The  Chairman:  Come  to  order,  gentlemen.  In  order  to 
make  yourselves  entirely  comfortable,  I  suggest  that  you  take  off 
your  coats.  AVe  have  a  lengthy  program  this  morning,  and  we 
want  to  make  you  as  comfortable  as  possible.  The  paper  on 
"Stumpage  and  Logging  Costs"  was  assigned  to  Mr.  Rickey  at 
a  very  late  date,  and  unfortunately  Mr.  Rickey  was  called  away, 
so  that  at  the  last  moment  Mr.  Frank  Schopflin  of  the  Central 
Coal  and  Coke  Company  was  requested  to  write  the  paper;  but 
as  he  is  unable  to  read  it,  I  am  going  to  ask  Mr.  Rhodes  to  read 
it  to  you.  The  paper  is  one  of  a  series  of  papers  on  costs,  and 
deals  principally  with  the  figures  on  these  two  charts.  I  hope 
that  you  will  watch  the  development  of  the  cost  problem  on  these 
charts  in  connection  with  the  papers  as  they  are  read. 

(Mr.  Rhodes  reads  the  paper  on  "Stumpage  and  Logging 
Costs"  by  Frank  Schopflin,  which  will  be  found  reproduced  in  full, 
beginning  at  page  158). 

The  Chairman:  We  are  now  on  our  regular  program.  It 
is  my  desire  to  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Jason  F.  Richardson,  Jr.,  of 
Ottawa,  111.  At  the  Illinois  Retail  Lumber  Dealers'  Association 
meeting  the  paper  that  excited  the  most  comment,  and  I  think 
made  the  most  lasting  impression,  was  the  one  by  Mr.  Richard- 
son. It  opened  up  an  entirely  new  avenue  of  thought  to  the  re- 
tail dealers,  and  I  am  sure  it  did  to  the  salesmen  who  were  pres- 
ent at  that  meeting.  We  are  exceedingly  pleased  to  have  Mr. 
Richardson  with  us  this  morning  to  read  his  paper,  as  it  is  very 
interesting  and  instructive.  Mr.  Richardson  !  (Applause). 


Stumpage 
and  Log- 
ging Costs 


An  Architect 
Talks  on 
Co-Operation 


28 


SELLING     LUMBER 


A  Vote 
of  Thanks 
for  Trade 
Paper 
Editors 


Costs 

From  Pond 
to  Sorting 
Chain 


The  Yel- 
low Pine 
Shingle 


Mr.  Richardson :  Mr.  Kendall  is  very  particular  what  I 
should  say,  so  I  am  going  to  read  it.  I  think  I  can  make  myself 
heard. 

(Mr.  Richardson's  paper  in  full  will  be  found  at  page  175). 

Mr.   Ben   S.   Woodhead :     Mr.   Chairman ! 

The   Chairman:     Mr.   Woodhead. 

,<y 

Mr.  Woodhead:  I  believe  a  committee  of  the  lumber  press 
undertook  to  feature  the  entertainment  at  our  banquet  last  night. 
They  undertook  it  very  graciously,  and  I  believe  all  those  present 
were  very  pleasantly  entertained.  They  went  to  a  great  deal  of 
trouble,  labor  and  time  to  perform  the  stunts  they  pulled  off  for 
our  edification  and  amusement.  I  believe  the  very  least  thing  we 
can  do,  Mr.  Chairman,  is  to  express  our  appreciation  and  thanks 
to  them  for  what  they  did;  and  I  move  you  that  the  thanks  and 
appreciation  of  this  association  be  expressed  to  the  lumber  press 
committee  for  the  enjoyment  afforded  us  last  night. 

(The  motion  having  been  duly  seconded,  was  put  by  the  chair- 
man to  a  viva  voce  vote,  and  unanimously  carried). 

Mr.  Chairman:  The  next  paper  on  the  program  will  be  an 
address  on  costs,  taking  up  the  cost  problem  from  the  log  pond 
and  carrying  the  manufacture  of  the  log  into  lumber  to  the  sort- 
ing chain.  This  address  will  be  delivered  by  Mr.  J.  C.  Mansfield", 
general  manager  of  the  Arkansas  Lumber  Company,  Warren, 
Ark.,  a  man  who  has  had  many  years  of  operating  experience 
and  knows  what  he  is  to  say.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Mansfield's  paper  in  full  will  be  found  at  page  186). 

The  Chairman:  I  presume  a  great  many  of  you  are  not 
aware  of  the  fact  that  a  great  many  yellow  pine  shingles  are  made, 
and  in  some  sections  of  the  country  yellow  pine  shingles  are  the 
standard  of  quality.  The  Southern  Pine  Association  has  been 
making  some  investigations  as  to  the  merits  and  possibilities  of 
yellow  pine  shingles,  and  Mr.  J.  H.  Eddy,  chairman  of  the  shin- 
gle committee  of  the  Association,  will  address  you  on  this  subject. 
Mr.  Eddy.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Eddyr  I  have  prepared  quite  a  lengthy  statement.  The 
paper  will  appear  in  full  in  the  printed  report  of  this  meeting.  I 
don't  know  that  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  go  very  much  into  de- 
tail in  investigating  the  wooden  shingle.  I  think  all  of  us  have 
memories  of  the  messages  of  the  shingle  in  our  youth.  It  is  pos- 


SELLING    LUMBER  29 

sible  that  those  memories  in  the  ex'perience  of  the  younger  gen- 
eration have  prejudiced  them  against  the  wood  shingle.  How- 
ever that  may  be,  we  believe  the  yellow  pine  product  to  be  a  very 
important  part  of  our  industry,  and  we  have  neglected  it,  very 
much  to  our  own  disadvantage. 

There  are  millions  of  shingles  made  every  year,  a  great  many 
of  them  made  by  mills  poorly  equipped  and  without  much  regard 
to  the  requirements  of  roofing  material.  Your  committee  has 
been  studying  this  subject  for  some  three  or  four  months.  We 
have  put  out  specifications  dealing  with  the  manufacture  and  pro- 
duction of  the  material. 

As  you  know,  there  is  a  tremendous  demand  in  this  country 
for  roofing  material.  The  shingle  is,  of  course,  best  adapted  to 
the  needs  of  a  roofing  material  in  connection  with  houses,  or  with 
homes,  to  use  a  better  term.  The  requirements  of  roofing  mate- 
rial are  that  it  shall  be  tight  and  durable;  that  it  should  be  of 
light  wood,  requiring  no  extra  strength  in  the  frame  of  the  build- 
ing on  which  it  is  applied;  that  it  may  be  readily  available,  and  at 
a  reasonable  price;  that  it  should  be  a  non-conductor  of  heat  and  The  Wood 
cold.  Those  of  you  who  have  studied  the  shingle  know  that  it  meets  Shingle 
all  of  those  requirements  to  a  remarkable  extent.  It  is  the  mis- 
use of  the  product  that  has  brought  it  into  disrepute.  The  mis- 
take has  been  made  of  using  unfit  material  for  shingles.  The  re- 
sult has  been  disastrous  to  a  very  considerable  extent.  And  what 
we  have  to  do  now  is  to  correct  our  practices  and  get  ourselves 
right  at  first,  and  then  to  educate  the  public  to  the  good  qualities 
of  the  shingle,  and  especially  of  the  yellow  pine  shingle. 

There  is  a  tremendous  demand  to  be  taken  care  of  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  points  at  which  shingles  are  manufactured 
in  the  yellow  pine  states,  where  the  rates  of  freight  are  low  and  ous  Market 
where  we  have  no  competition  with  shingles  by  a  substitute  ma-   Near  Home 
terial. 

We  have  been  experimenting  with  our  shingle,  properly 
treated  by  a  mineral  paint,  as  compared  with  results  in  tests  with 
the  composition  shingle — substitute  shingles ;  and  the  results  jus- 
tify us  in  the  belief  that  if  we  use  a  little  care  and  attention  we 
can  produce  an  article  so  far  superior  to  the  composition  roof- 
ing of  various  firms  that  when  the  public  knows  what  we  can  do 
there  will  be  no  trouble  about  our  getting  the  business. 


30 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Prepare 
to  Meet 
Criticisms 


Limitations 
in  the 
Use  of 
Shingles 


As  to  the  history  of  the  shingle,  it  might  be  interesting  to  you 
to  know  that  it  has  been  used  for  centuries ;  that  there  still  are  in 
England,  and  perhaps  other  places,  good  shingles  on  many  of  the 
old  towers — shingles  that  were  put  there  in  pre-Norman  times. 
There  is  no  question  about  the  durability  of  the  product,  properly 
made,  properly  applied  and  properly  protected.  I  do  want  to  ask 
of  the  salesmen  to  post  themselves  thoroughly  concerning  the 
merits  of.  this  product,  and  to  be  prepared  to  meet  the  criticisms 
that  you  will  hear  and  that  are  largely  suggested  by  our  friends, 
the  substitute  manufacturers.  Prepare  yourself  to  meet  those 
criticisms  and  to  give  the  builder  and  the  consumer  the  facts. 
Urge  the  builder  especially  to  post  himself  as  to  the  right  kind 
of  shingle  to  have ;  the  specifications  under  which  it  has  been 
made,  and  manner  in  which  it  shall  be  applied.  There  is  just 
coming  before  the  grading  committee  the  question  of  specifying 
the  grade  of  roofing  strip.  Sap  lumber  has  been  used  for  that 
,  purpose,  but  it  does  not  possess  the  requisite  strength.  The  tend- 
ency has  been  to  apply  those  strips  carelessly,  and  the  result  has 
been  very  bad.  We  have  to  include  in  our  grading  rules  specifi- 
cations that  will  do  away  with  that.  Shingles  have  been  laid  too 
much  to  the  weather.  They  have  been  laid  on  roofs  that  are  too 
flat.  There  are  limitations  in  the  use  of  the  shingle  which  we 
must  recognize  and  avoid.  These  are  mistakes  which  have  in  the 
past  cost  us  so  much,  and  which  are  likely  to  cost  us  so  much  more 
if  we  don't  take  the  trouble  to  correct  the  errors.  We  hope  that 
the  salesmen,  whether  or  not  their  mills  manufacture  shingles,  will 
interest  themselves  in  this  feature  of  their  business,  and  post 
themselves  concerning  the  facts,  and  will  go  out  prepared  to  de- 
fend yellow  pine  shingles  especially  against  the  attacks  of  the  sub- 
stitute manufacturers.  Our  product  does  not  carry  that  great 
percentage  of  profit  which  makes  possible  an  unending  advertis- 
ing campaign,  such  as  the  substitute  people  are  able  to  carry  on. 
Their  product  is  rags  and  paper  covered  with  tar,  and  conse- 
quently they  are  able  to  spend  a  great  deal  of  money  in  adver- 
tising; and  those  statements  that  they  are  making,  appearing  day 
after  day  in  the  newspapers  and  in  their  printed  matter,  are  bound 
to  influence  the  minds  of  builder  and  consumer.  The  only  way 
we  can  meet  that  is  to  post  ourselves  and  become  prophets  of  the 
yellow  pine  shingle.  That  is  what  we  want  to  ask  of  you.  (Ap- 
plause). 

(Mr.  Eddy's  written  address  will  be  found  on  page  189). 


SELLING    LUMBER  31 

The  Chairman :  Is  Mr.  Sterling  in  the  house  ?  Is  Mr.  Wat- 
kins  here? 

Mr.  Rhodes  has  a  little  surprise  for  you.  He  is  going  to 
give  you  a  little  advance  information.  Mr.  Rhodes  has  prepared 
from  telegraphic  reports  the  weekly  barometer. 

(Mr.  Rhodes  places  upon  the  stage  the  barometer  in  the 
form  of  a  large  chart). 

(Tremendous  applause). 

Mr.  Rhodes :     Right  off  the  press,  and  absolutely  accurate. 

A  Voice :  Suppose  we  continue  this  convention  indefinitely, 
if  it  produces  that  result.  (Applause). 

Mr.   Rhodes :     You  may  not  all  be   able  to   read   it.     I   will 
make  a  little   analysis  of  it  for  those  who  can't  see  it.     Orders 
received  during  the  week,  4,298  cars,  aggregating  85,715,014  feet,   Good  News 
received    by    159    mills    reporting    business    up    to    Friday  night.   ^,an       ,,.,, 
Those  same  mills  shipped  4,094  cars,  or  4,000,000  feet  less  than  Report 
orders  received.     The  average  orders  for  the  159  mills  were  539,- 
000  feet  per  mill. 

The  same  mills  produced  an  average  of  490,000  feet  during 
the  week  (applause),  while  the  normal  production  of  those  mills, 
based  upon  reports  which  we  have  received  weekly  from  them  dur- 
ing the  last  year,  was  608,000  feet  per  week.  Thus  the  shipments  ex-, 
ceed  the  production  by  2^  per  cent.  The  orders  exceeded  the 
production  nearly  10  per  cent.  (Applause).  Your  attention  is 
called  to  the  fact  that  the  barometer  is  now  based  upon  normal 
production,,  rather  than  on  what  we  have  heretofore  based  it,  the 
average  production.  Thus  the  orders  are  shown  in  relation  to  the 
normal  production,  and  the  actual  production  is  shown  in  rela- 
tion to  the  normal  production.  The  actual  production  was  below 
normal  nearly  20  per  cent.  The  shipments  were  below  normal 
production  17.22  per  cent,  while  the  orders  were  below  normal 
production  11.37  per  cent.  It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  the  aver- 
age orders  per  mill  for  the  month  of  June  amounted  to  446,000 
feet,  covering  147  mills,  for  the  first  week  of  June;  548,000  feet, 
or  100,000  feet  more,  average  per  mill,  for  the  second  week  of 
June — 157  mills;  496,000  feet  per  mill  from  the  151  mills  for  the 
third  week,  which  was  last  week;  while  this  week,  closing  Friday 
night,  the  average  orders  were  539,000  feet  per  mill  for  159  mills, 
while  the  production  was  498,000  feet.  For  your  information 


32 


SELLING     LUMBER 


"Judging 
Orders" 


Mr.  Hines 
Talks  on 
Salesmanship 


I  will  say  that  the  Association  is  mailing  2,500  copies  of  this  ba- 
rometer each  week.  (Applause). 

The  Chairman:  As  neither  Mr.  Sterling  nor  Mr.  Watkins 
appear  to  be  in  the  room,  I  am  going  to  ask  Mr.  Sackett,  the  For- 
ester for  the  National  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association,  to 
read  his  paper  on  "Wood  Substitutes."  Mr.  Sackett  was  not  ex- 
pecting to  be  called  upon,  but  we  are  anxious  to  have  his  paper 
presented  to  you.  He  will  be  on  the  platform  in  just  a  moment. 

A  Voice:     Mr.  Chairman,  Mr.  Watkins  is  in  the  room. 

The  Chairman:  Mr.  Watkins  here?  Mr.  Sackett  left  the 
rear  of  the  hall  to  come  to  the  stage  a  moment  ago.  Just  a  min- 
ute, until  I  see  whether  Mr.  Sackett  is  on  the  stage.  I  guess  Mr. 
Sackett  has  been  lost  in  the  shuffle  somewhere.  Mr.  Watkins  be- 
ing in  the  room,  I  am  going  to  ask  him  to  address  you  on  the 
subject  "Judging  Orders."  (Applause). 

Mr.  Watkins :  Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen :  I  notice  a 
mistake  in  this  program.  It  is  "Judging  Orders."  I  think  that  is 
a  little  mistake.  I  meant  to  make  it  "Judge  the  Order."  I  haven't 
seen  two  orders  at  once  for  quite  awhile.  (Laughter).  I  want 
to  say  I  feel  so  good  over  this  report  and  Mr.  Rhodes'little  speech 
I  don't  know  whether  I  can  talk  about  my  paper  or  not.  That 
is  the  best  speech  we  have  heard  yet. 

('Mr.  Watkins's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  203.) 

The  Chairman :  Without  doubt  the  next  speaker  that  I  am 
going  to  call  on,  or  rather,  that  it  is  my  privilege  to  call  on,  is 
the  most  shining  example  of  success  in  lumber  salesmanship.  Of 
course,  the  heights  to  which  he  has  climbed  were  not  reached 
from  selling  ability  alone,  but  his  success,  was,  I  am  sure,  due  to 
his  making  himself  a  superior  salesman.  I  am  very  glad  to  pre- 
sent to  you  Mr.  Edward  Hines  of  Chicago,  who  will  address  you 
on  "Salesmanship  From*  the  Standpoint  of  a  Lumberman."  (Ap- 
plause). 

(Mr.  Hines's  paper  in  full  will  be  found  beginning  page  356). 

The  Chairman:  I  know  that  we  all  consider  ourselves  deeply 
in  Mr.  Hines's  debt.  I  know  that  we  can't  fail  to  appreciate  how 
much  sacrifice-  this  occasion  means  to  Mr.  Hines,  who  is  a  man 
of  very  large  business  interests,  as  he  has  given  a  great  deal  of 
his  time  to  this.  We  will  stand  adjourned  until  2  o'clock. 

At  this  point,  at  12:30  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  school  took  a  recess 
until  2  o'clock  p.  m.  of  the. same  day. 


SELLINGLUMBER  33 

TUESDAY,    JUNE    27,    1916—  AFTERNOON    SESSION. 

At  2  o'clock  p.  m.  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Harry 
T.  Kendall,  chairman. 

The  Chairman  :  Come  to  order,  gentlemen.  I  want  to  ex- 
plain to  you  some  of  the  changes  in  the  program  and  say  that 
we  will  probably  vary  the  program  very  considerably  from  now 
on  in  order  to  get  in  some  discussion  on  the  part  of  the  men  on  the 
floor.  The  papers  that  have  been  read  here  will  be  printed  in 
the  printed  proceedings,  a  copy  of  which  will  be  mailed  to  you. 
Here  are  some  question  that  the  committee  thought  we  might  put 
out  to  you  for  general  discussion,  and  if  these  questions  interest 
anyone  in  the  audience  we  would  be  glad  to  have  you  get  on  your 
feet: 

On   an  order  sent  in  by  a  salesman,  is   it  better  to 

write   the    customer   or   the   salesman,   in    case   the   sales 

office  wishes  to  make  any  correction  before  entering  the 

order? 

How  soon  should  an  order  for  ordinary  yard  stock 

be  shipped,  to  come  within  the  meaning  of  "prompt  ship- 

ment?" 

If  a  customer  sends  you  an  order  showing  the  usual  Some 

•£•     i.1  '    j    •        JJ-.L-  UT-I  •  .-  i  1  Questions 

specifications,  and  m  addition  says,     This  must  be  good  Salesmen 


stock"  would  you  give  him  your  regular  grade,  or  would 
you  expect  the  sawmill  to  ship  better  grade  than  that  spe- 
cified ?  i 

How  should  an  order  be  loaded  that  calls  for  10  to 
20-foot  lengths?  In  other  words,  what  percentage  of  sur- 
plus stock  can  be  loaded? 

Now,  gentlemen,  those  are  some  of  the  questions  you  might 
like  to  say  something  on.  If  there  is  any  other,  we  would  be  glad 
to  have  you  put  it  to  us.  We  want  to  give  you  an  opportunity, 
gentlemen. 

A  Voice  :  Mr.  Chairman,  I  should  think  it  would  be  better 
to  put  each  question  separately. 

The  Chairman  :     All  right.     AVhat  question  shall  we  discuss  ? 

A  Voice:     Well,  take  the  first  question  read. 

The  Chairman:     "On  an  order  sent  in  by  a  salesman,   is  it   ^£istchuession 
better   to   write   the   customer  or   the    salesman   in   case   the   sales    Questions 
office  wishes  to  make  any  correction  before  entering,  or  avoid  mis-   Asked 
understandings  in  the  order  sent  in  by  the  salesman?" 


34 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Meaning  of 

"Good 

Stock" 


Mr.  Nelson :  Mr.  Chairman,  I  think  it  would  be  better  to 
leave  it  to  each  company  to  decide  that. 

The  Chairman:     You  think  that  is  a  company  matter? 

Mr.  Nelson :     I  think  that  is  entirely  with  the  company. 

The  Chairman :  Are  there  any  other  views  on  that  ?  Do 
you  all  agree  with  Mr.  Nelson  that  that  is  a  strictly  company 
matter? 

A  Voice :     Mr.   Chairman ! 

The  Chairman:    What  do  you  think  about  it,  Mr.  Blake? 

Mr.  Blake:  I  think  the  customer  should  be  written  and  a 
carbon  copy  sent  to  the  salesman. 

The  Chairman:  You  think  the  customer  should  be  written 
direct? 

Mr.  Blake:  Yes,  sir;  and  a  carbon  copy  of  it  sent  to  the 
salesman. 

The  Chairman  :     Someone  else  ? 

Mr.  Lennox:  Well,  I  should  think  the  customer  should  be 
written  direct. 

The  Chairman :     Any  other  comments  on  that  question  ? 

Mr.  Kennard :  Mr.  Chairman,  I  don't  think  that  should  be 
taken  up  by  them  with  the  company,  but  with  the  salesman.  I 
have  lots  of  customers  I  would  not  want  a  contract  varied  with, 
at  all. 

The  Chairman:  Any  other  views  on  that  subject?  Well, 
then,  let's  discuss  this  question :  "If  a  customer  sends  you  an 
order  showing  usual  specifications,  and  in  addition  says,  'This 
must  be  good  stock/  would  you  give  him  regular  stock  or  a  grade 
better  than  specified?" 

Mr.  Beebe :  If  it  is  a  habit  of  shipping  poor  stock,  I  would 
give  him  something  better ;  but  if  we  have  been  shipping  the 
regular  grade,  I  would  give  it  to  him.  (Applause). 

The  Chairman :  Now,  we  are  getting  business  and  orders 
on  which  the  salesman  writes,  "Must  be  good  stock."  What  is  a 
sales  manager  to  do  with  that  kind  of  order? 

Mr.  Nelson:  I  do  not  think  so.  The  fact  that  it  says  it 
must  be  a  good  grade  does  not  mean  that  it  should  be  a  different 
grade  than  that  specified  on  the  order. 

All  of  the  subscribers  to  the  Association  guarantee  that  their 
grades  are  all  good.  And  I  do  not  think  that  any  salesman  means 
by  writing  on  the  face  of  an  order,  "Must  be  good  stock,"  that 


SELLING     LUMBER  35 

it  is  a  special  contract,  because  the  order  specifies  specifically  the 
grade  orders,  and  unless  there  is  some  explanation  as  to  what  limi- 
tations or  exemptions  should  be  made  the  notation  is  superfluous. 
It  is  used  by  some  buyers  as  a  lever  for  a  claim. 

While  some  buyers  think  some  mills  make  their  lumber  above1 
grade,  they  are  honest  in  their  belief  and  are  sometimes  willing 
to  pay  a  little  more  money  because  they  believe  they  are  going 
to  get  something  above  grade.  And  the  fact  that  he  is  putting 
this  information  on  the  order  indicates  that  the  salesman  is  en- 
couraging him  to  believe  he  is  getting  something  above  grade.  It 
would  be  much  better  if  the  salesman  would  explain  to  the  cus- 
tomer that  the  stock  which  they  ship  under  that  grade  is  all 
graded  the  same — that  if  it  is  better  than  that  offered  by  others 
it  is  due  to  the  natural  growth  of  their  timber — that  they  are  not 
picking  their  grades  for  anybody — and  if  the  customer  does  not 
think  the  stock  he  will  get  is  worth  the  money  not  to  buy  it  from 
him.  (Applause). 

The  Chairman :     I  am  speaking  now  of  orders  in  general. 

Mr.  Nelson :  I  don't  think  the  order  ought  to  go  into  the 
house  that  way.  I  think  the  salesman  ought  to  sell  the  grades 
that  they  make;  sell  it  in  accordance  with  the  grades  of  the  Asso- 
ciation ;  and  they  shouldn't  add  anything  special  to  that  class  of 
order. 

Mr.  Dix :  If  the  order  carries  an  additional  price,  I  think 
we  ought  to  give  a  little  better  grade,  possibly ;  but  if  it  carries 
the  regular  price,  I  don't  think  so. 

Mr.  Rogers :  I  think  if  the  shipper  or  mill  has  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  the  customer  expects  something  better  than  the  Associa- 
tion grade  he  ought  to  take  it  up  with  the  customer. 

Mr.  Kendall :  Doesn't  that  make  a  special  contract,  and  vi- 
tiate all  the  rest  of  the  terms  of  sale? 

The  Chairman:     Mr.  Nelson,  will  you  answer  that  question? 

Mr.  Nelson :  I  don't  think  so.  The  fact  that  it  says  it  must 
be  a  good  grade  doesn't  mean  that  it  should  be  a  different  grade 
than  that  specified  on  the  order.  All  the  associations'  hold  the 

subscribers  to  the  association  guarantee  that  their  grades  are  all  T*16  , 

tion     Good 
good,  and  I  think  it  is  the  duty  of  a  salesman  that  has  to  write   Grade" 

that  on  the  face  of  his  order  to  explain  that  matter  to  his  custom-   Unnecessary 
ers.     I  don't  think  the  fact  that  he  is  putting  that  on  there  means 
that  he  believes  that  the  stock  you  ship  is  not  worth  the  money 


36  SELLINGLUMBER 

to  be  paid  for  it;  and  the  fact  that  you  have  written  on  the  face 
of  the  order  that  it  must  be  a  good  grade  is  not  necessary  at  all ; 
but  the  fact  that  it  is  put  there  is  evidence  that  the  customer  is 
expecting  to  get  good  stock.  If  you  don't  think  the  stock  I  am 
selling  is  worth  that  money,  don't  buy  it  from  me.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Tully:  The  putting  of  it  on  there  may  be  clue  to  the 
fact  of  the  desire  of  the  salesman  to  lead  his  customer  to  believe 
that  he  is  going  to  get  something  good.  Then,  again,  it  may  be 
charged  that  past  shipments  from  that  particular  mill  have  been 
proving  unsatisfactory,  and  they  want  good  grade.  And  an  order 
of  that  kind  only  insinuates  to  the  Southern  Pine  Association  the 
necessity  of  making  uniform  grades.  If  the  mill  ships  only  uni- 
form grades  you  will  see  that  that  kind  of  notations  won't  ap- 
pear on  the  orders  any  more.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Nelson :  The  salesman  and  customer  must  understand 
that  no  two  yellow  pine  trees  grow  the  same,  or  have  the  same 

defects,  and  that  the  lower  the  grade   the  greater  the  variation. 
Inevitable    . 
Variations   No  salesman  can  afford  to  guarantee  that  one  shipment  of  a  low 

Q  ^°w        grade  of  lumber  will  look  just  the  same  and  contain  the  same  de- 
Stock  fects   as   any   other   carload   of   the   same   grade    they   may   have 

shipped  in  the  past.    A  great  many  of  our  troubles  are  due  to  this 

misunderstanding,  however. 

We  will  take  for  example :  Some  No.  1  boards  are  accumu- 
lated in  running  finish.  These  accumulations  are  usually  placed 
under  the  shed.  The  principal  defects  are  machine  defects,  which 
are  often  unnoticed  by  the  average  buyer  or  consumer,  and  a  ship- 
ment of  this  kind  looks  entirely  different  from  No.  1  boards 
which  may  be  shipped  from  regular  stock  which  is  piled  out  on 
the  yard.  To  a  more  or  less  extent  these  same  degrees  of  dif- 
ference apply  all  the  way  down  the  line. 

No  arbitrary  selling  rules  can  be  laid  down,  but  something 
must  be  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  inspector.  It  is  not  possible 
that  every  inspector  can  grade  the  same  way;  and  even  grading 
is  not  a  matter  of  judgment  altogether,  but  a  matter  of  the  heart; 
and  as  they  say,  it  is  the  eye  of  the  master  that  fashions  the  piece. 
If  these  gentlemen  will  go  over  their  yard  and  check  up  their 
grading  they  will  find  that  their  variations  of  grade  will  be  great- 
ly minimized,  or  the  grades  made  very  much  more  uniform,  or  as 
uniform  as  human  judgment  can  make  them.  (Applause). 


SELLING    LUMBER  37 


Mr.  Stevens :  I  think  the  traveling  salesman  who  writes  on 
the  front  of  his  order,  "Must  be  good  stuff,"  is  either  playing  a 
favorite  of  one  among  his  many  customers,  or  is  trying  to  leave 
that  customer  under  the  impression  that  he  is  going  to  get  some- 
thing a  little  out  of  the  ordinary.  I  don't  think  that  any  sales- 
man, at  least  in  my  territory,  puts  "must  be  good  lumber,"  be- 
cause we  all  ship  it  good ;  some  of  them  ship  it  a  little  better  than 
the  other  fellow,  and  we  all  scratch  our  heads  when  we  see  it.  Do  Salesmen 
I  think  Mr.  Nelson  is  absolutely  right,  and  that  no  two  cars  of  Favorites"? 
No.  2  shiplap  can  be  shipped  out  alike.  It  is  owing  to  the  tim- 
ber out  of  which  you  get  that  stuff  as  to  what  the  variety  may 
be ;  it  may  be  a  little  higher  or  lower.  You  have  to  do  the  best  you 
can.  But  as  a  rule  we  have  mighty  little  trouble  on  grades. 

The  Chairman :     Any  other  comments  on  this  question  ? 

Mr.    Nelson:      Regardless    of    how    many   grading   rules    we 
ever  establish,  in  my  opinion  lumber  will  always  be  bought  and 
sold  largely  on  comparison.     But  we  want  to  get  the  dealer  away 
from   the   belief   that   one   manufacturer    is    shipping   his    lumber 
above  grade,  and  that  he  is  accustomed  to  buying  a  grade  of  lum- 
ber and  getting   a  *  better  grade — I  mean  to  say,  better  than  the    An  Erroneous 
Association  grading  rules  specify.     There  are  any  number  of  deal-    Be^ef  °me 
ers  who  are  of  that  opinion — that  the  grades  that  are  shipped  them     Have 
are   better   than   the   Association   grading   rules   permit;    and    we 
should  get  those  dealers  into  the  correct  way  of  thinking;  that  the 
reason  one  shipment  of  lumber  looks  better  than  another  is  that 
the  trees  out  of  which  that  grew  didn't  have  as  many  defects  in 
them  as  the  other. 

Mr.  Beebe:  We  are  here  in  the  interest  of  co-operation.  It 
seems  to  me  that  no  salesman  should  write  on  an  order  that  this 
must  be  particularly  good  stock,  because,  as  somebody  else  pointed 
out  over  there,  if  you  do,  it  is  a  special  contract.  I  think  that 
in  the  interest  of  co-operation  we  should  not  put  anything  further 
on  an  order  except  to  say:  "This  must  be  strictly  up  to  Associa- 
tion grade  in  every  case/'  (Applause). 

Mr.  Wilhite:  I  wish  to  say  that  when  you  get  an  order  that 
says,  "Must  be  good  stock"  on  it,  there  is  a  reason  for  that  man 
putting  it  on  there,  because  the  ordinary  salesman  doesn't  put  any- 
thing on  the  order  unless  he  wants  to  mean  something.  Now,  a 
good  many  times  a  salesman  puts  that  on  there  because  he  has 
had  trouble  on  a  previous  order  or  two,  and  the  dealer  will  prob- 


38  SELLING    LUMBER 

ably  say:  "Now,  if  this  car  don't  come  up  to  grade  you  can  go 
somewhere  else  to  sell  your  lumber."  Now,  my  idea  is,  when  you 
get  that  on  an  order,  why  not  hold  the  order  and  ask  the  sales- 
man what  he  means  by  that?  (Applause). 

Mr.   Snell :     I   believe  that   nearly   all   of   the   manufacturers 

who  are  members  of  the  Yellow   Pine  Association   put  on   their 

letter-heads   and  invoices :     "We  sell   our  lumber   subject   to   the 

rules  of  the   inspection  bureau."     Now,   we   say  we  do,   and   we 

ought  to  do  that;  we  ought  to  ship  our  lumber  that  way;  and  if 

Association     an  order  sent  in  specifies  something  different,  we  have  got  two 

Rules  contracts  in  one,  one  printed  on  the  invoice  and  the  other  on  the 

the°Standard   order.     Therefore  I  think   that  a  special  contract   should   not  be 

made.     I  don't  see  the  advantage  to  the  salesman,   and  certainly 

it  is  a  disadvantage  to  the  general  trade.     We  ought  to   try  to 

make  our  grades  comply  with  the  rules  of  grading,  and  we  ought 

to   sell  our  lumber  that   way,   and   we  may,   perhaps,   have   some 

trouble,  but  we  will  get  by. 

The  Chairman:  In  answer  to  what  Mr.  Wilhite  says,  I 
think  this :  That  if  a  salesman  has  trouble  with  a  customer,  or 
is  in  danger  of  losing  a  customer  on  account  of  inferior  ship- 
ments in  the  past,  that  he  should  have  more  interest  in  that  propo- 
sition and  in  the  customer  than  to  simply  write  the  words  on  his 
order — "must  be  good  stock;"  I  think  the  salesman  should  keep 
that  off  of  his  order  entirely  and  write  a  special  letter  on  the  sub- 
ject to  the  house,  and  let  them  know  all  about  the  trouble  that 
has  happened  in  the  past,  rather  than  to  put  anything  like  that 
on  the  order  at  all.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Austin :  In  reference  to  the  Southern  Pine  Association, 
there  is  a  point  that  comes  up,  and  that  is  the  case  where  a  cus- 
tomer expects  something  better  than  the  rules  outlined  by  the 
Association  provide.  We  should  write  him  and  say  that  all  of  our 
lumber  is  graded  in  accordance  with  the  rules  and  regulations  of 
the  Southern  Pine  Association,  and  all  settlements  must  be  made 
on  that  basis,  unless  a  special  contract  is  made  to  the  contrary. 

The  Chairman:     Any  other  comment  on  this  question? 

Mr.  Price:  If  he  wants  something  specially  good,  sell  him  a 
grade  higher  and  get  the  money. 

Mr.  Irwin :  Supposing,  for  instance,  a  mill  authorizes  you 
to  talk  quality  as  a  reason  for  their  price  being  $1  or  $2  higher  on 
an  item,  say,  on  low  grade  flooring,  and  you  tell  that  man  you  are 


SELLINGLUMBER  39 

giving  him  quality.     You  are  charging  $2  or  $3  more.     When  he 

comes  to  make  an  adjustment,  that  is  adjusted  on  the  Southern 

Pine  rules.     If  the  sales  manager  told  you  to  advertise  their  stuff   When  a 

as  being  particularly  good,  then  it  is  the  sales  manager's  fault,  or    Instructions 


the  office's   fault,  in  leading  a  salesman  to  enter  into  the  special.  J?ay  Cause 

Trouble 
contract,  whether  willingly  or  unwillingly. 

The  Chairman:  That  is  the  same  proposition  we  had  a  mo- 
ment ago  ;  that  is,  the  practice  of  making  a  contract  better  than 
the  Southern  Yellow  Pine  rules,  and  advertising  it  as  such.  That 
is  a  proposition  we  can't  intelligently  handle,  I  don't  think,  in  this 
meeting.  Gentlemen,  anything  further  on  this  subject? 

"How  soon  should  an  order  for  ordinary  yard  stock  be 
shipped  to  come  within  the  meaning  of  the  words,  'prompt  ship- 
ment,' when  written  on  the  order?" 

What    does    "prompt    shipment"    mean?      Does    it   mean    ten 
days,  fifteen  days,  twenty  days,  or  what  does  it  mean,  as  an  ab-  The  Meaning 
stract  term,  without  any  explanation  to  it  at  all?  Shipment" 

Mr.  Rogers  :  I  say  that  when  an  order  specifies  prompt  ship- 
ment it  ought  to  go  forward  within  ten  days.  If  it  is  wanted 
sooner  than  that  by  the  customer,  if  it  is  wanted  at  once,  or  im- 
mediately, the  order  should  so  state. 

The  Chairman  :  Mr.  Rogers  says  prompt  shipment  means 
ten  days.  Is  that  the  concensus  of  opinion  here? 

Mr.  Corrington  :  It  seems  to  me  if  a  customer  expects  prompt 
shipment  at  the  time  he  orders  the  car  he  has  some  idea  of  the 
time  the  customer  expects  shipment,  and  he  can  give  that  infor- 
mation to  his  mill. 

Mr.    Nelson:      A    few    years    ago    we    had    an    organization 
known  as  the  Lumber  Trades  Congress,  and  we  did  work  on  it 
for  two  or  three  years,  in  connection  with  all  branches  of  indus-    ^Prompt," 
try  ;  and  it  was  agreed  that  "immediate  shipment"  would  mean  in-   3*™^*^" 
side  of  ten  days,   and  "prompt  shipment"   inside  of   thirty   days,   shipments 
That  was  generally   agreed  upon  by  the  committee,   but   I   don't 
know  that  it  has  any  weight. 

Mr.  Blake:  If  we  co-operate  with  one  another,  and  if  we 
all  understand  it  and  give  our  customer  to  understand  what  we 
expect  to  do,  how  soon  we  expect  to  ship,  then  we  would  co- 
operate ;  and  we  have  always  considered  that  "prompt  shipment" 
meant  thirty  days;  "rush  shipment/'  within  ten  days. 


40  SELLING     LUMBER 

Mr.  Davis :  I  can  answer  only  for  my  territory.  I  had  a 
little  controversy  and  the  company  advised :  "On  every  entry 
we  have  'prompt  shipment/  "  and  asked :  "Are  you  doing  this 
on  all  your  orders?"  He  said,  "Yes,  on  every  one  of  them." 
"How  soon  do  they  expect  it?"  "In  thirty  to  sixty  days.  If  I 
wanted  it  any  sooner  than  that  I  would  put  on  'immediate'  or  a 
special  time." 

Mr.  Brown :  It  all  depends  on  what  kind  of  order  it  is ; 
how  much  it  is;  what  it  calls  for. 

The  Chairman:  It  is  an  order  for  ordinary  yard  stock,  as- 
suming one  car. 

Mr.  Brown:    One  car? 

The  Chairman :     That  is  the  assumption ;  one  car. 

Mr.  Nelson :  I  think  if  the  time  of  shipment  is  of  any  im- 
portance the  time  should  be  specified  on  the  order. 

Mr.  Wilhite:  Mr.  Nelson  is  right.  There  is  no  use  ty- 
ing the  mill  up  with  unnecessary  conditions.  The  less  condi- 
tions you  have  on  the  order,  the  better  off  you  are. 

Mr.  Dumm:  We  have  worked  out  an  average  of  seven- 
teen days  on  ordinary  shipments. 

The  Chairman :  Have  any  of  you  got  any  other  proposi- 
tion you  want  to  discuss? 

Mr.  Austin :  I  would  like  to  have  some  information  on 
the  approximate  cost  of  bundling  short  stock.  There  is  a  great 
deal  of  business  now  being  offered,  for  instance,  for  1  by  4,  say 
six  and  eight  feet.  I  would  like  to  have  an  explanation  of  the 
cost  of  bundling  that  stuff. 

The  Chairman :  The  paper  that  will  be  read  tomorrow 
takes  everything  from  five  up  to  long  lengths,  and  gives  you 
the  exact  cost  of  bundling.  Gentlemen,  is  there  anything  else? 
We  have  some  more  questions  to  propose.  Something  else 
might  appeal  to  you. 

"How  should  an  order  be  loaded  that  is  sent  in  by  the 
A  "Safe"  salesman  calling  for  10  to  20-foot  lengths?  In  other  words, 
of^urplus6  wnat  percentage  of  surplus  can  be  loaded,  or  what  percentage 
Stock  of  surplus  stock  can  you  safely  load?"  (Laughter). 

Mr.  Montgomery:  If  a  customer  gives  an  order  for  10 
to  20-foot  lengths  and  he  has  a  surplus  of  one  or  two  lengths, 
the  salesman  should  advise  his  customer  of  the  fact,  advising 
the  approximate  assortment  he  will  receive;  and  if  that  doesn't 


SELLING    LUMBER 


41 


suit  his  customer,  name  another  one.     In  other  words,  let  the 
customer  express  his  preference  for  what  he  will  get. 

Mr.  Rogers :  I  believe  that/  the  question  of  assortment  of 
lengths  depends  on  the  buyer  prettly  largely.  Some  large  buy- 
ers will  take  any  assortment,  when  an  order  calls  for  10  to  20- 
foot ;  are  satisfied  with  any  assortment  of  lengths  from  10  to 
20  feet;  but  the  ordinary  small  dealer,  when  he  orders  10  to 
20-foot  lengths  expects  a  reasonable  assortment  of  lengths ;  but 
we  don't,  however,  consider  that  the  buyer,  whether  a  small 
or  large  buyer,  has  a  right  to  criticise  the  mill,  if  that  particu- 
lar mill  ships  a  surplus  of  any  one  length  which  suits  their 
stock.  We  personally  think  that  when  a  dealer,  wants  an  as- 
sortment of  lengths  he  should  specify  the  lengths. 

A  Voice:  Does  the  term  10  to  20-foot  lengths  imply  that 
each  length  should  be  shipped— 10,  12,  14,  16,  18  and  20? 

The  Chairman:  Personally,  I  think  so.  What  do  you 
think  of  that?  Does  the  specifications,  10  to  20-foot,  mean 
that  some  of  every  length  be  shipped? 

Mr.  Burgoyne:  We  have  just  recently  handled  a  large 
shipment  of  10  to  20-foot  lengths,  and  in  one  case  we  were 
requested  by  the  customer  to  ship  him  all — 12,  14  and  16— 
and  we  agreed  to  do  that,  notwithstanding  that  we  had  a  lot 
of  10,  18  and  20  that  we  were  very  anxious  to  unload.  Conse- 
quently we  gave  him  a  fair  average  of  12,  14  and  16,  namely, 
60  per  cent. 

Mr.  WToodhead :  I  think  that  is  the  proper  way  to  han- 
dle an  order  like  that.  An  order  calling  for  10  to  20-foot  in 
length  might  vary  according  to  the  destination.  Some  parts 
of  the  country  would  prefer  18  and  20-foot  lengths;  and  some 
would  prefer  12,  14  and  16. 

Mr.  Nelson :  The  shipping  clerk  at  the  mill  does  not  know 
your  customer,  and  may  not  be  as  familiar  with  his  needs  as 
you.  Why  not  put  on  the  order,  when  you  send  it  in,-  what 
you  expect?  If  you  leave  it  to  the  shipping  clerk  at  the  mill, 
the  chances  are  the  shipping  clerk  is  going  to  ship  what  he 
has  most  of,  and  there  is  no  use  of  leaving  that  open.  If  you 
are  going  to  put  something  over  on  your  customer,  put  it  over 
when  you  are  making  the  deal,  and  not  afterward. 

Mr.  Austin :  I  don't  agree  with  Mr.  Nelson,  because  I 
believe  that  if  it  is  left  to  the  salesman  it  will  mean,  to  a  cer- 


What  the 
Term  "10  to 
20-Foot 
Lengths" 
Implies 


Shipping 
Clerk  or 
Salesman 
to  Judge? 


42 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Sales- 
man Knows 
Conditions 
Best 


tain  extent,  that  it  is  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  customer.  In 
that  event  we  all  know  that  the  largest  percentage  of  lengths 
ordered  would  be  very  heavily  14  and  16  feet. 

Mr.  Nelson :    Educate  or  change  your  salesman. 

Mr.  Austin :  We  can't  always  do  it.  I  do  believe  the  best 
way  to  handle  those  shipments  is  to  give  the  instructions  to 
each  mill  of  approximately  the  amount  of  each  length  to  be 
shipped;  and  if  you  find  you  want  to  change  that,  on  account 
of  some  specific  location  where  they  can  use  a  little  more  of 
one  length,  issue  special  instructions  on  the  order  when  you 
send  it  to  the  mill.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Wiener:  I  want  to  agree  with  Mr.  Nelson.  I  think  the 
salesman  should  specify  on  his  order  an  assortment  of  lengths, 
so  if  the  length  is  in  question  on  an  order  of  one  or  more  lengths 
the  mill's  troubles  are  over.  We  ,can  never  tell  when  an  order 
cornes  to  a  mill  what  is  in  the  customer's  mind.  An  order  of 
10  to  20- foot  lengths  might  go  to  a  place  where  all  of  one  length 
might  be  shipped;  or,  the  customer  might  want  a  fair  assortment 
of  lengths.  The  salesman,  when  he  takes  the  order,  is  on  the 
ground,  and  has  some  opportunity  of  knowing  what  is  actually 
wanted ;  so,  if  he  knows  the  customer  could  use  any  one  length, 
his  order  ought  to  read  that  way,  so  that  any  shipping  clerk  Vould 
know  what  is  wanted,  and  avoid  any  future  controversy.  (Ap- 
plause). 

The  Chairman:  Is  there  any  further  discussion,  gentlemen, 
of  this  problem.  I  have  another  one  here : 

"Why  should  any  sales  be  made  for  6-inch  No.  2  fencing, 
ceiling  or  center  matched  eliminating  the  Association  percentage 
of  4  and  6- foot  lengths  ?" 

Mr.  Burgoyne:  No  salesman  or  sales  manager  ought  to  per- 
mit the  sale  of  No.  2,  other  than  strictly  in  accordance  with  the 
rules  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  unless  there  be  some  spe- 
cific contract  covering  such  sale.  We  have  had  more  trouble  try- 
ing to  dispose  of  our  4  and  6-foot  lengths  in  common  lumber  than 
all  the  balance  of  the  lumber  we  manufacture.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  our  percentage  of  those  short  lengths  is  small, 
at  the  same  time  orders  invariably  come  in  for  No.  2  common 
6-inch,  8- foot  and  up,  and  occasionally  10- foot  and  up ;  and  I 
think  that  with  the  good  work  that  the  Southern  Pine  Association 
is  doing,  together  with  a  gathering  of  this  character,  and  the 


SELLINGLUMBER  43 

good  work  that  the  sales  managers  are  doing,  and  the  salesmen, 
in  salesmanship,  that  we  all  ought  to  get  together  and  work  off 
these  short  lengths  in  every  sale  that  is  made;  that  is  to  say,  not 
exceeding  the  percentage  allowed  by  the  rules  of  the  Association. 
Now,  in  these  cases  we  don't  always  have  the  full  percentage  of 
short  lengths,  but  we  do  like  to  work  those  short  lengths  off  when- 
ever it  is  possible  to  do  so ;  and  we  have  resolved  not  to  take  any 
more  orders  that  way;  that  is  to  say,  unless  they  comply  with 
the  Association  rules.  (Applause). 

The  Chairman:  Gentlemen,  we  are  now  an  hour  late  start- 
ing our  program.  First  on  the  program  is  an  address  on  "How 
Best  to  Cover  the  Territory,"  by  Mr.  James  H.  Heyl  of  the  East- 
man-Gardiner Company,  Columbus,  Ohio.  I  beg  to.  introduce  Mr. 
Heyl.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Heyl :  Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen :  In  this  paper  I  Mr  He  1 
have  confined  myself  to  the  most  essential  points.  I  have  not  on  "How 
tried  to  tell  you  all  I  think  I  know  on  this  subject,  because  I  think  Cover  the 
you  would  get  mighty  tired  before  I  got  through.  Territory" 

(Mr.  Heyl's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  212). 

The  Chairman :  One  of  the  principal  ways  or  directions  in 
which  the  funds  of  the  Association  have  been  spent  is  in  the  direc- 
tion of  exploiting  silos.  Mr.  J.  Lewis  Thompson,  chairman  of  the 
silo  committee  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  is  here,  and  will 
address  us  on  this  subject.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Thompson :  Mr.  Chairman :  I  will  say  that  this  is  the 
first  time  that  I  have  appeared  on  a  theater  stage.  One  time  up 
in  New  York — Mr.  Rodney  Browne  is  here,  and  he  will  bear  me 
out  in  this — I  was  standing  there  and  was  asked  to  address  them, 
but  they  cut  me  off  in  the  middle  of  my  talk,  up  there  at  the 
Retail  Lumber  Dealers'  Association,  and  let  a  lawyer  come  in  and 
take  up  where  I  had  left  off,  and  finally  brought  me  back ;  and 
I  told  them  that  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  been  called  on  for 
an  encore.  I  am  not  going  to  take  up  much  time,  because  it  on  Silos 
won't  take  me  long  to  tell  you  what  I  know  about  silos.  But  I 
want  to  tell  you  this :  That  up  in  New  York  I  was  introduced 
as  a  "yellow  pine  lumber  man,  and  thirty  days  late,  as  usual." 
I  didn't  quite  get  the  gist  of  the  remark,  because  they  had  given 
us  written  instructions.  I  got  in  there  on  time,  all  right,  but  it 
seems  that  they  put  me  on  the  program  the  day  before  I  was  to 
appear  there;  and  I  told  them,  after  I  was  introduced  that  way. 


44 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Mr.  Thomp- 
son "Sasses 
Back" 


Salesmen 
Can  Set 
the  Public 
Right 


I  told  them,  I  says:  "Gentlemen,  I  have  been  sitting  around 
here  and  listening  to  what  a  fine  looking  bunch  of  men  you  are, 
and  how  well  you  look,  all  today.  Every  speaker  says  how  fine 
you  look."  And  I  said:  "You  are  not  the*  finest  looking  bunch 
of  men  that  I  ever  looked  at.  Down  where  I  come  from  there 
are  a  whole  lot  better  looking  fellows  than  you  are;  and  I  will 
say  this,  too :  Down  there  we  couldn't  get  300  men  together  if 
there  wasn't  some  grafting  among  them,  and  I  don't  think  there 
is  any  exception  in  this  bunch." 

But  I  am  going  at  this  for,  I  believe,  the  first  time  I  have 
had  an  opportunity  to  look  into  the  faces  of  a  bunch  of  men  that 
represent  the  yellow  pine  industry — represent  it  before  the  pub- 
lic. Now,  we  fellows  at  the  mill  make  the  lumber,  and  you  peo- 
ple go  out  and  represent  us  before  the  public.  This  is  the  first  time 
I  have  ever  had  the  opportunity  of  looking  into  the  faces  of  this 
many  of  the  representatives,  and  I  am  happy  at  the  opportunity 
to  do  it,  because  I  think  that  you  men  can  put  us  right,  if  you 
will  only  have  the  patience  to  do  it — and  you  know  we  haven't  been 
always  right  before  the  public.  We  have  been  lambasted  a  good 
deal,  and  some  of  you  fellows  have  been  ashamed  to  tell  that  you 
were  in  the  lumber  business  when  you  got  out.  I  make  these 
few  remarks  because  I  don't  want  you  to  be  ashamed  to  say  that 
you  know  something  about  silos;  because  my  subject  is  the  rea- 
son for  the  sale  of  wooden  silos — ten  reasons  for  the  sales  of 
wooden  silos,  as  compared  with  those  built  of  other  materials. 

(Mr.  Thompson's  paper  will  be  found  at  page  389). 

The  Chairman :  The  next  number  on  the  program  is  an  ad- 
dress on  "Selling  Factory  and  Industrial  Trade,"  by  Mr.  C.  W. 
Myers,  of  the  W.  R.  Pickering  Lumber  Company,  Detroit,  Michi- 
gan. Mr.  Myers  is  one  of  the  very  best  known  specialty  salesmen 
in  the  industry.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Myers :  Mr.  Chairman,  I  wish  to  give  away  my  time 
to  the  discussion  of  the  question,  asked  by  Mr.  Austin  and  Mr. 
Beebe. 

The  Chairman :  Mr.  Myers's  address  will  appear  in  the  printed 
record. 

(Mr.  Myers's  address  will  be  found  on  page  310). 

The  Chairman:     Mr.  Austin. 

Mr.  Austin:  One  of  our  questions  was,  "What  Is  the  Best 
Disposition  to  Make  of  Short  Lumber?" 


SELLING     LUMBER  45 

The  Chairman:  Has  anybody  got  any  light  on  the  subject — 
Ways  and  means  of  disposing  of  short  lumber?  Has  anybody  got 
an  idea — one  idea? 

Mr.  Martin:  I  think  the  proper  way  of  disposing  of  short 
lumber  is,  wherever  you  sell  long  lumber,  to  educate  the  other  fel- 
low to  use  the  short  lumber.  I  don't  believe  it  would  be  very 
much  of  an  effort  for  the  yellow  pine  manufacturers  to  dispose 
of  a  part  of  their  short  lumber  right  along  with  their  long  lumber. 
The  coast  mills  and  cedar  mills,  on  cedar  and  cypress  siding,  they 
bunch  20  per  cent  of  4  to  9-foot  lengths  with  their  long  lengths. 
There  will  sometimes  be  three  lengths.  They  will  just  put  them 
right  in;  and  the  coast  mills  all  absolutely  specify  that  15  per  cent  Disposing 
of  short  lumber  must  be  loaded  with  any  lumber,  or  it  affects  the  Leneths 
price  from  50  cents  to  $2.00  a  thousand.  The  organization  out 
there  is  not  very  much  tighter  than  the  Southern  Pine  Association. 
That  is,  their  general  sales  methods.  But  that  is  one  feature  that 
they  strictly  adhere  to.  If  a  man  orders  all  14  and  16-foot  flooring, 
they  charge  $2.00  per  thousand  extra,  and  there  is  not  one  con- 
cern out  of  fifty  that  will  waive  that  extra  charge;  and  they  don't 
allow  specifications  of  the  lengths,  either;  it  has  to  be  6  to  10-foot. 

The  Chairman:  Mr.  Vanlandingham,  where  shall  we  sell 
short  lumber? 

Mr.  Vanlandingham :  What  the  gentleman  said  about  the 
coast  business — few  adhere  to  those  rules.  We  have  rules,  but 
we  don't  adhere  to  them  any  more  than  the  other  pine  mills.  We 
can  buy  a  straight  car  of  14  and  16-foot  flooring  just  as  easily  as 
10  to  20.  In  fact,  we  generally  have  to  do  it  that  way,  because 
that  is  the  way  the  trade  wants  it.  If  someone  can  tell  us  how 
to  get  rid  of  6-inch,  10-foot  flooring,  we  would  like  to  know  it. 
Our  customers  say  they  would  like  to  know  how  to  sell  it. 

Mr.  Irwin:  I  don't  think  the  manufacturer  realizes  the  dis- 
advantages the  retailer  has  in  reference  to  short  lengths.  In 
Illinois  we  have  a  trade  union  that  governs  it.  For  instance,  32- 
inch  lath  ;*the  union  charges  30  per  cent  more  to  lay  it  than  4-foot. 
They  charge  a  given  price  to  lay  4-foot  lath.  To  lay  30-inch  lath 
they  charge  more.  That  is  particularly  true  in  Southern  Illinois. 
Now,  the  best  way  we  know  to  handle  short  lengths  would  be  to 
make  the  price  enough  lower  on  those  lengths  to  equalize  that  extra 
cost  of  labor.  You  can't  expect  a  man  to  use  6  and  8- foot  when 


46 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Persuading 
Dealers  to 
Handle  Short 
Lengths 


Educating 
Architects 
and  Con- 
tractors 


he  knows  it  is  going  to  cost  him  twice  as  much  for  carpenters  as 
if  he  used  14  and  16. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  I  gave  my  particular  attention  on  one  occa- 
sion to  siding,  and  induced  a  great  many  short  lengths  being  used 
for  construction  of  houses — 1,  2,  4  and  6  feet  long.  I  wrote  to 
architects,  asking  them  if  they  couldn't  arrange  to  handle  that. 
I  suggested  to  them  that  they  go  to  a  little  trouble,  go  over  their 
plans  and  find  out  how  much  of  each  length  could  be  used  in 
short  length,  and  we  furnished  it  to  them  in  those  lengths,  with- 
out reducing  the  price,  because  the  contractor  saved  money  in 
not  cutting  the  lengths.  I  have  assumed  that  something  could  be 
done  along  that  line,  but  we  didn't  have  a  convenient  or  econom- 
ical way  of  storing  it  and  handling  it ;  and  I  suggested  that  we 
make  a  place  to  handle  it,  and  they  tried  it  with  two  of  the  yards, 
and  are  making  quite  a  success  by  that  method.  It  imposes  some 
considerable  trouble  on  the  yard  manager  or  owner  of  the  yard, 
but  nothing  is  ever  done  without  trouble,  and  profit  is  the  result 
of  work ;  and  I  pointed  that  out  to  them ;  and  two  of  the  yards 
made  quite  a  success  of  it,  and  the  only  objection  made  was  as 
to  the  lack  of  facilities  for  handling  short  lengths  economically, 
which  was  overcome,  to  a  measureable  extent,  by  boarding  one 
end  of  the  shed  and  piling  the  stuff  up  properly. 

Mr.  Lovitt:  When  I  go  in  to  a  yard  man  he  gives  me  a  list 
of  stuff  that  has  no  10-foot  in  it.  I  say,  "Here,  I  want  to  put 
some  10-foot  in  this."  "Well,  I  can't  take  it,  because  my  man  has 
not  called  for  it."  He  says,  "I  have  to  buy  what  they  want." 

Mr.  Nelson:  The  salesman  can  educate  the  carpenter  and 
the  architect  to  use  that  stuff,  if  they  will  do  it.  Educate  them 
that  trees  don't  grow  all  16-foot,  and  that  they  can  get  10-foot  for 
less  money,  or  shorter  lengths  for  a  little  less  money.  There  is  no 
question  but  what  the  short  drop-siding  and  short  ceiling  can  be 
used  just  as  well  as  the  long  lengths,  but  the  average  carpenter 
orders  16-foot  because  that  is  about  the  only  length  that  he 
recognizes. 

Mr.  Austin:  The  reason  I  advocated  talking  about  10-foot 
pieces,  we  give  a  man  a  fair  assortment  of  10  to  20-foot.  We 
know  it  will  be  satisfactory.  And  we  instruct  them  not  to  ex- 
ceed 5  per  cent  of  6  and  8-foot.  That  5  per  cent  cleans  up  our 
surplus  of  flooring.  One  very  good  method  of  disposing  of 
shorts,  and  something  I  think  the  mill  man  overlooks,  is  by  dis- 


SELLING    LUMBER  47 

posing  of  it  to  the  man  who  wants  something  made  special ;  special 
lengths.  There  are  manufacturers  of  furniture  and  other  lines 
that  use  stock  down  to  18  inches;  from  that  on  up.  I  know  of 
an  order  that  was  taken  calling  for  5Sy2  inches,  and  we  can 
furnish  that  with  very  little  additional  expense;  and  on  this  par- 
ticular order  we  got  $5.00  per  thousand  more  than  for  10  to  20- 
foot  lengths.  I  believe  that  if  manufacturers  would  look  into  that 
and  go  to  a  little  expense  to  put  in  a  machine  in  every  mill  that 
they  would  clean  up  their  shorts  to  good  advantage.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Woodhead :     On  an  order  calling  for  10  to  20- foot,  and 

you  load   5  per  cent   shorter  lengths,  what   do  you   do   when  the    When  the 
,  ,.  1        i  •  i    >  •  i    Customer 

customer  refuses  to  pay  for  that,  on  account  he  didn  t  order  it?    Won't  Pay 

I   have  had  a  case  like  that  happen   to  me,   and  I  just   want  to   *or  Short 
know  how  you  would  handle  it? 

Mr.  Austin:  Issue  instructions  to  the  superintendent  of  the 
mill  and  department  heads  specifying  the  percentage  of  each 
length  to  be  loaded.  The  percentage  is  so  small  on  the  carload — 
5  per  cent;  as  you  see,  would  be  considerably  less  than  a  thousand 
feet  of  2-inch,  6  and  8- foot;  and  where  we  have  had  slight  com- 
plaints, we  have  always  settled  them  by  allowing  not  to  exceed 
$2.00  per  thousand;  and  that,  I  believe,  you  will  admit,  is  con- 
siderably better  than  getting  a  big  accumulation  of  short  lengths  at 
the  mill. 

The  Chairman :  I  desire  to  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Robert 
S.  Lindstrom  of  the  Illinois  Chapter  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Architects,  of  Chicago,  Illinois.  He  is  now  writing  a  series  of 
papers  on  mill  construction  for  the  American  Lumberman.  We 
desire  him  to  give  you  a  brief  review  of  the  possibilities  in  the 
use  of  yellow  pine  timber  for  Mill  Construction.  (Applause.) 

(Mr.  Lindstrom's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  269). 

The  Chairman:     Is  Mr.  Dionne  in  the  audience? 

Mr.  Beebe:  I  think  the  question  I  was  permitted  to  ask  was 
partly  answered.  I  was  going  to  ask  the  question  of  Mr.  Myers 
here,  regarding  the  possibility  of  loading  4  and  6  and  8-foot  lengths 
on  an  order  calling  for  10  to  20,  and  billing  it  at  the  price  of 
10  to  20-foot  stock ;  and  how  much  the  customer  would  take,  from 
the  salesman's  viewpoint. 

The  Chairman:  Any  further  discussion  on  that  subject — on 
an  order  calling  for  regular  lengths? 


48 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The 

Salesmen's 
Territorial 
Organization 
Outlined 


Work  for 
the  Territorial 
Organization 


Gentlemen,  we  have  two  numbers  yet  on  the  program  that  I 
am  very  anxious  to  present  to  you.  The  first  is  the  arrangement 
for  territorial  organization,  and  the  other  is  the  efficiency  examina- 
tion. We  are  endeavoring  now  to  locate  Mr.  Dionne,  who  has 
agreed  to  read  this  paper.  It  will  take  about  thirty  minutes,  and 
we  want  the  salesmen  to  select  one  of  their  number  to  come  on 
the  stage  and  be  examined.  We  will  also  ask  each  one  of  you 
to  take  pencil  and  paper  and  sit  down  and  make  an  analysis  of 
yourself,  in  what  essentials  of  efficiency,  in  accordance  with  the 
authoritative  definition,  you  are  deficient.  Now,  Mr.  Dionne  is 
not  here;  and  I  will  be  exceedingly  obliged  if  you  will  break  up 
the  meeting  and  hold  territorial  meetings  in  the  back  of  the  hall. 
I  can  guarantee  that  if  you  will  remain  in  the  hall  for  thirty  or 
thirty-five  minutes  we  can  give  you  some  valuable  hints  along 
the  line  of  efficiency.  Regarding  the  territorial  organization,  I 
will  say  that  I  will  read  briefly  the  idea ;  and  I  will  ask  one  sales- 
man from  each  state  or  territory'to  come  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs 
and  get  a  banner;  then  go  to  the  rear  end  of  the  hall  and  call 
all  the  salesmen  of  that  state  or  territory  to  him.  The  plan  itself 
I  will  read  briefly. 

The  plan  that  we  propose,  or  rather,  the  plan  that  was  tenta- 
tively laid  before  the  committee  this  noon  was  as  follows : 

That  the  salesmen  should  investigate  in  their  territorial  or- 
ganization : 

New  uses  for  yellow  pine; 

The  failure  of  yellow  pine  to  meet  market  conditions; 

Competition : 

(a)  From   concrete   and   steel; 

(b)  From  other  wood  substitutes ; 

(c)  From   other   woods. 

The  salesmen  should  endeavor  to  co-operate  with  all  dis- 
tributing channels  by  studying  out  a  plan  of  educa- 
tional campaign : 

(a)  Through  the   architect; 

(b)  Through  the  contractor; 

(c)  Through   the   retailer; 

(d)  Through    any   industry   with    which   they   come    in 
contact,  concerning  the  problems  and  necessities  both 
of  the  manufacturer  and  the  consumer. 


SELLING    LUMBER  49 

A  Voice:     Mr.  Chairman: 

The  Chairman  :     Mr.  Montgomery. 

Mr.    Montgomery:     I    have   been   informed   that   Mr.    Seidel 
furnished  the  body  when  it  was  called  to  order  yesterday  with  a  A  Vote  of 
gavel,  and  with   a  key;   and  most  of  us  also   received  carnations   the^eide 
and  badges ;  and  I  think  it  is  no  more  than  proper  that  we  should    Lumber 
extend  to  the  Seidel  Lumber  Company  a  vote  of  thanks. 

(The  motion,  having  been  duly  seconded,  was  put  by  the 
chairman  to  a  viva  voce  vote  and  unanimously  carried.) 

Mr.  Austin :  To  avoid  misunderstanding,  wouldn't  it  be  bet- 
ter to  have  it  understood  that  when  division  of  territory  is  made, 
that  a  salesman  will  classify  himself  in  the  town  in  which  he 
lives  ? 

The  Chairman :     In  which  he  has  his  headquarters. 

(At  this  point  a  number  of  salesmen  march  upon  the  stage, 
each  carrying  a  banner  bearing  the  name  of  one  of  the  established 
territories.) 

The  Chairman :  Northern  Illinois !  Everybody  from  North- 
ern Illinois  follow  that  gentleman  to  the  back  of  the  hall. 

(The  salesman  carrying  the  banner  of  Northern  Illinois  pro- 
ceeds to  the  back  of  the  hall;  and  all  the  other  banners  are  suc- 
cessively carried  to  the  back  of  the  hall,  as  the  chairman  calls  out 
the  name  of  each  territory,  respectively,  and  thereupon  a  tem- 
porary recess  was  taken.) 

The  Chairman :  Come  to  order  rapidly,  gentlemen.  As  I  call 
the  territory,  I  will  ask  that  the  chairman  elected  rise  and  give  his 
name ;  and  also  the  name  of  the  alternate. 

(In  this  manner  the  following  names  were  recorded:) 
Territory.  Chairman.  Alternate. 

Texas  H.  A.  Strube  F.  J.  Lennox 

Oklahoma  B.  H.  Miller  J.  F.  Schnieders 

Kansas  Otis  Smith  J.  S.  Prestridge 

Indiana  Ed  Troy  Alexander  Hamilton 

Ohio  J.  R.  Diamond  James  H.  Heyl 
Kentucky  and 

Tennessee  H.  S.  McLaughlin         J.  A.  Brook 

Northern  Illinois  S.  E.  Barwick  Jack  Brantley 

Michigan  C.  J.  Ashton  Chas.  W.  Myers 

Nebraska  and  Iowa  R.  K.  Eaton  W.  M.  Simpson 

Minnesota  and  Iowa,  Geo.  Fleming 

East,  Charles  Martin  (Clements) 


50 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Territory. 

Chairman. 

Alternate. 

Virginia  and  Western 

Pennsylvania 

T.  H.  Meed 

Southern  Illinois 

E.  B.  Eckarf 

E.  E.  Willett 

Missouri,  East, 

R.  S.  Price 

D.  M.  Lacey 

Missouri,  West, 

C.  W.  Thornton 

J.  H.  Hatcher 

New  York  City 

Rodney  E.  Browne 

J.  H.  Lane 

Arkansas 

J.  H.  Smith 

H.  B.  Houck 

Alabama   and 

Louisiana 

W.  A.  Morton 

Louisiana 

F.  H.  Campbell 

J.  D.  Batchelor 

Southeast  Seaboard 

W.  C..  Fellows 

The   Chairman: 

I   am   going  to  ask 

that  the  delegates   and 

Mr.  Wood- 


alternates  be  at  the  Planters'  Hotel  at  12 :45  tomorrow  to  take 
lunch  with  me  and  the  other  members  of  the  committee  on  Sales 
and  Distribution,  and  we  will  explain  our  proposition  to  you  then 
— the  chairmen  and  alternates. 

The  Chairman :  I  want  some  one  to  suggest  a  salesman  to 
come  on  the  platform  to  l>e  examined  to  see  what  per  cent  efficient 
he  is. 

A  Voice :     Mr.   Chairman ! 

The  Chairman:     Mr.  Nelson. 

Mr.  Nelson :  I  suggest  that  the  less  you  have  to  mark  him 
down,  the  better.  You  want  one  that  is  good.  The  best  one  I 
know  of  is  Ben  Woodhead. 

The  Chairman:  All  right.  Mr.  Woodhead,  come  on  the 
stage. 

(Mr.  Ben  S.  Woodhead  comes  on  the  stage  and  is  given  a 


head  Submits    seat  beside  a  large  chart.) 
to  the  Effi- 
ciency Test 


The  Chairman :  Without  doubt  the  star  paper  read  at  the 
Texas  Retail  Lumber  Dealers'  Association  was  an  address  on 
Efficiency,  delivered  by  Mr.  R.  J.  Tolson,  of  William  Cameron  & 
Company,  of  Waco,  Texas..  While  Mr.  Tolson  is  practically 
engaged  in  the  auditing  end  of  the  lumber  business,  he  has  been 
a  close  student  of  the  lumber  game,  particularly  along  lines  of 
efficiency,  not  only  in  his  own  department  of  auditing,  but  in 
retail  and  wholesale  merchandising.  I  don't  believe  that  there 
is  any  one  person  who  believes  himself  100  per  cent  efficient.  It 
is  also  true  that  the  average  man  is  rather  backward  about  analyz- 
ing himself.  But  nevertheless,  when  such  an  examination  takes 


SELLING     LUMBER  51 

place,  the  man  who  hopes  to  get  ahead  and  make  a  success  will 
endeavor  to  improve  himself  in  the  direction  in  which  he  finds 
himself  deficient.  Mr.  Tclson's  paper  might  suggest  some  points 
to  you  that  you  might  need  to  develop.  We  are  exceedingly  sorry 
that  Mr.  Tolson  cannot  be  with  us ;  but  Mr.  Dionne,  secretary  of 
the  Texas  Lumber  Dealers'  Association,  has  agreed  to  read  the 
paper.  I  would  suggest  that  those  of  you  who  care  to  conduct  this 
examination  of  yourselves  take  pencil  and  paper  and  score  yourself 
as  Mr.  Dionne  investigates  how  deficient  or  efficient  Mr.  Woodhead 
is.  The  twenty-three  requisites  are  there  on  the  chart.  Mr. 
Dionne. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  Efficiency  and  the  Lumber  Sales- 
man. What  Per  Cent  Are  You  Efficient?  By  R.  J.  Tolson,  Waco, 
Texas.  Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen:  You  have  all  heard  the 
oft-repeated  saying  that  ''poets  are  born,  not  made."  I  am  some- 
what a  believer  in  that  theory,  but  I  wish  to  qualify  the  statement 
by  saying  that  even  though  a  man  be  born  a  poet  he  will  never  be 
able  to  show  his  talent  or  genius  until  he  has  cultivated  the  finer 
qualities  of  his  mind  and  soul  by  education,  study  and  thought. 

1.  Health — The  first  on  the  list  is  Health.  If  your  health  is 
perfect  you  are  entitled  to  100  per  cent  in  the  percentage  column 
opposite  "Health."  I  do  not  know  of  any  vocation  in  which  health 
is  so  vitally  essential  as  that  of  the  traveling  salesman.  Unless 
you  are  feeling  good,  you  are  working  under  a  most  serious  handi- 
cap. Good  health  is  essential  to  a  cheerful  disposition,  it  is  a  stim- 
ulus to  enthusiasm,  it  is  the  fountain  source  of  energy  and  industry,  Health  the 

•"    First  on  the 
and  you  all  know  how  important  these  things,  are  to  a  traveling    List 

salesman.  Beside  this,  no  man  can  have  the  best  use  of  his  mental 
faculties,  unless  he  has  good  health.  Unless  you  have  good  health 
you  are  sure  to  have  a  grouch,  business  will  be  on  the  bum,  and 
you  will  likely  blame  your  customers,  your  goods  or  your  house  for 
losing  the  business  instead  of  blaming  yourself.  Is  your  health  100  . 
per  cent  perfect? 

Mr.  Woodhead:     I  think  it  is   100  per  cent. 

The  Chairman:  We  will  give  the  gentleman  100  per  cent 
(marking  it  down  on  the  chart).  (Applause).  If  you  don't  agree 
with  his  answer,  you  have  the  privilege  of  saying  so. 

Mr.  Woodhead:  I  will  take  the  liberty  of  saying  that  you 
can't  embarrass  me  if  you  vote  against  me.  Just  vote  the  way 
you  think. 


52 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Health  and 
Industry,  100 
Per  Cent 


His  Knowl- 
edge of  Yel- 
low Pine 


Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  Two — Energy  or  Industry.  Energy 
or  industry  is  the  r,utithesis  of  laziness.  It  is  the  motive  power 
which  keeps  us  moving. 

"It  is  the  faculty  which  makes  us  forget  time  and  distance 
and  fatigue  and  sleep.  It  is  the  power  which  runs  the  machinery 
of  our  brain  and  converts  our  ideas  or  raw  material  into  the 
finished  product  or  results.  Industry  is  ambitious,  it  is  never 
satisfied,  it  works  overtime,  and  is  the  -tutor  of  genius.  What 
is  your  percentage  in  energy  and  industry?" 

Mr.  Woodhead:     I  am  going  to  claim  100  on  that. 

The  Chairman:     Shall  we  give  him  100  on  that? 

Various  Voices:  Give  him  100.  No.  Give  it  to  him.  We 
will  get  him  a  little  further  down  the  line.  (Laughter.) 

Mr.  Woodhead:     I  know  that. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "Three — Knowledge  of  yellow  pine 
as  a  wood."  Do  you  know  the  various  kinds  of  yellow  pine,  and 
where  they  grow,  and  the  difference  in  quality,  density,  strength, 
weight  and  specific  values  of  each?  Do  you  know  the  difference 
between  long  and  short  leaf,  loblolly,  old  field,  coarse  and  smooth 
grain,  and  the  various  other  distinctions  in  the  wood  and  the 
causes  of  such  differences?  Do  you  know  the  merits,  usages  and 
limitations  of  yellow  pine  as  a  wood,  and  know  wherein  that  cer- 
tain classes  of  the  woods  are  suitable  for  certain  purposes  and  for 
other  purposes  it  is  totally  unfit?  Do  you  know  the  probable 
visible  world's  supply  of  yellow  pine,  and  where  it  is  located? 
What  percentage  of  knowledge  do  you  possess  on  these  ques- 
tions ? 

Mr.  Woodhead:     Seventy-five  per  cent,  I  think. 

A  Voice :     Too  high. 

The  Chairman:     How  about  50,  gentlemen? 

Various  Voices:  Too  high.  That  is  about  right.  Yes,  give 
him  50. 

The  Chairman:     All  right,  we  will  give  him  50. 

A  Voice:  Isn't  that  supposed  to  be  workable  knowledge — 
actual,  practical  knowledge? 

Mr.  Woodhead:  That  is  why  I  say  75,  on  a  practical,  and 
not  a  theoretical  knowledge. 

The  Chairman:  Well,  we  haven't  any  eraser,  Mr.  Wood- 
head.  (Laughter.) 


SELLING     LUMBER 


53 


Mr.  Dionne  reading:  "Four — Knowledge  of  other  com- 
petitive woods."  What  do  you  know  about  other  woods  which 
come  actively  in  competition  with  yellow  pine?  Do  you  know 
the  merits  and  limitations  of  these  other  woods  as  compared  with 
yellow  pine?  Do  you  know  what  these  other  woods  are,  where 
they  grow,  what  they  are  best  suited  for,  and  what  they  are 
worth  on  the  market  in  your  territory?  In  other  words,  what  do 
you  know  about  cypress,  fir,  spruce,  red  cedar  and  white  pine? 
And  do  you  know  anything  about  those  hardwoods  which  are  com- 
ing into  competition  with  yellow  pine,  such  as  birch,  maple,  poplar, 
oak  and  gum? 

What  per  cent  are  you  efficient  in  your  knowledge  of  the 
merits  and  limitations  of  these  woods? 

Mr.  Woodhead:  So  far  as  they  apply  to  my  territory,  why, 
I  think  I  can  stand  25  per  cent  on  that. 

Mr.  Dionne :     How  much  ? 

Mr.  Woodhead:  Twenty-five.  That  relates  to  hardwoods 
which  come  into  contact  and  competition  with  yellow  pine  in 
Texas  and  the  surrounding  country  where  I  sell  pine.  I  know 
nothing  about  cedar,  for  instance.  I  don't  come  in  contact  with 
it.  But  these  hard  woods  that  are  sold  down  there,  I  take  25 
per  cent. 

A  Voice:    Fifty.     How  much? 

The  Chairman :  Twenty-five.  How  much  are  you  going  to 
grade  yourself  on  that? 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "Five — Knowledge  of  other  building 
materials."  Do  you  know  what  are  the  principal  kinds  of  ma- 
terials which  are  in  active  competition  with  yellow  pine  for  build- 
ing purposes?  And  do  you  know  the  merits  and  limitations  of 
these  materials  as  compared  with  yellow  pine?  Do  you  know  any- 
thing about  the  structural  strength  of  iron  and  steel  and  wherein 
this  product  is  better  or  inferior  to  yellow  pine,  and  do  you  know 
the  difference  in  cost  when  used  for  certain  purposes?  Do  you 
know  anything  about  cement,  and  brick  and  stone  and  tile  and 
plaster  and  wall  coverings,  prepared  or  patent  roofingb,  and  other 
materials  which  are  used  as  substitutes  or  as  curtailments  of  the 
use  of  yellow  pine?  Do  you  know  the  price  of  these  articles 
in  your  territory,  their  value  and  limitations  as  competitive  prod- 
ucts? What  is  the  percentage  of  your  knowledge  on  this  sub- 
ject? 


A  Low 
Score  on 
Competitive 
Woods 


Knowledge 
of  Substitutes 


54 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Possibilities 
in  a  Knowl- 
edge of 
Competitive 
Materials 


Mr.  Woodhead:     I  don't  know  anything  about  steel. 

The  Chairman :  As  a  salesman  of  yellow  pine,  how  much  do 
you  consider  yourself  efficient  on  your  knowledge  of  good  sub- 
stitutes— to  put  it  in  a  more  general  way? 

Mr.  Woodhead:     Well,  I  would  put  it  at  about  20  per  cent. 

The  Chairman:  You  are  very  modest.  Can't  we  give  him 
more  than  that? 

A  Voice:     Yes;   thirty. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  The  way  that  question  is  worded,  it  comes 
to  theoretical  knowledge.  I  have  got  no  information  on  that;  I 
have  got  practically  nothing. 

The  Chairman:  How  are  you  going  out  to  sell  lumber 
against  steel  and  concrete,  if  you  can't  talk  on  it? 

Mr.  Woodhead :  Well,  on  modulus  of  elasticity,  and  all  those 
other  technical  things  about  steel,  I  can't  do  it.  I  sell  lumber 
from  the  practical  knowledge  I  have. 

Various  Voices :  Twenty.  Twenty-five.  Thirty.  He  knov/s 
the  business  sufficiently  if  he  has  sense  enough  to  get  that  busi- 
ness, and  I  think  he  is  efficient. 

The  Chairman:  The  idea  is  to  suggest  to  the  lumber  sales- 
man the  possibility  of  the  game ;  that  is  the  idea.  We  don't  sup- 
pose any  man  would  grade  very  much  on  some  of  these  essentials. 
It  is  just  to  suggest  the  idea ;  open  up  the  avenue  of  thought. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  Just  taking  that  point :  I  once  had  a  dis- 
cussion with  a  man  in  Mexico  as  to  the  relative  merits  of  wood 
ties  and  steel  ties,  and  this  particular  road  was  using  steel  ties. 
Well,  I  had  no  technical  education  on  steel  ties,  but  in  the  course 
of  my  experience  in  selling  ties  I  had  heard  a  great  many  argu- 
ments, pro* and  con,  on  that  subject,  and  I  was  in  somewhat  of 
a  position  to  argue  the  question  with  him,  and  did  so,  and  got 
away  with  their  order  for  100,000  ties.  I  say,  to  that  extent  I  was 
efficient. 

The  Chairman :    We  will  give  him  40. 

A  Voice:  That  proportion  of  40  per  cent  is  out  of  line,  for 
the  business  he  is  specializing  in. 

The  Chairman:  As  I  explained  to  you  gentlemen  over  here, 
we  don't  presume  that  there  is  any  salesman  here  that  will  grade 
100  per  cent  efficient,  nor  do  we  believe,  honestly,  that  it  is  neces- 
sary. We  are  just  trying  to  suggest  the  possibility  of  the  train- 
ing to  round  out  a  complete  man.  Now,  we  don't  presume  that 


SELLING     LUMBER 


55 


As  to  Cost 


anybody  will  be  able  to  make  a  technical  argument  on  the  differ- 
ence between  concrete  and  iron  in  mill  construction,  but  we  do 
believe  that  he  should  have  a  smattering  of  it,  some  information 
as  to  the  differences  and  relative  cost. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "Six — Knowledge  of  the  methods 
and  cost  of  manufacture."  Do  you  know  how  lumber  is  manu- 
factured? Do  you  know  the  evolution  of  the  log  from  the  time 
it  leaves  the  forest  until  it  reaches  the  finished  product  readv 
for  shipment?  Do  you  know  how  many  separate  operations  are 
required  to  convert  a  log  into  boards  or  dimension  or  finish? 
Have  you  any  idea  of  the  cost  of  each  separate  operation,  and 
why  it  costs  more  to  manufacture  one  kind  or  dimension  of  lum- 
ber than  another,  and  how  the  cost  is  distributed  to  the  several 
grades?  Do  you  know  why  one  length  is  worth  more  or  less  than 
another  length  of  the  same  dimension?  Do  you  know  anything  and  Method 
about  the  percentage  of  grades  which  an  average  bunch  of  logs  °fManu*ac- 
will  develop  in  manufacture,  and  the  basis  or  rule  by  which  the 
cost  of  one  kind  of  yellow  pine  lumber  is  placed  at  a  higher  price 
than  another?  Do  you  know  anything  about  special  cuttings  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber,  why  it  costs  more  to  fill  an  order 
for  special  cuttings,  and  how  to  figure  that  additional  cost?  Do 
you  know  the  several  component  parts  of  the  cost  of  yellow  pine 
lumber,  the  stumpage,  the  logging,  the  hauling,  the  sawmill,  the 
trucking,  stacking,  drying,  planing  and  loading,  as  well  as  the 
overhead  or  fixed  cost  which  are  all  a  part  of  its  value?  If  you 
know  all  these  things  you  are  entitled  to  100  per  cent  on  manu- 
facture ;  if  not,  you  will  grade  yourself  according  to  your  knowl- 
edge. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  Well,  I  can  answer  nearly  every  one  of 
those  questions. 

A  Voice:     One  hundred  per  cent. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  No,  I  can't  claim  100  per  cent  on  it.  1 
claim  85.  Those  are  questions  that  enter  directly  into  my  line  of 
business,  and  I  figure  them  very  nearly  every  day,  and  I  believe 
T  could  claim  85  per  cent  on  that. 

A  Voice:    Well,  make  it  90. 

The  Chairman:     He  gets  85  per  cent. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "Seven — Knowledge  of  grading 
rules."  Have  you  ever  sold  a  bill  of  lumber,  and  some  time  later, 
when  you  called  on  your  customer  he  would  tell  you  that  was  the 


56  SELLINGLUMBER 

bummest  lot  of  stuff  he  ever  saw,  and  that  it  was  not  near  up  to 
grade,  and  that  he  wanted  you  to  step  out  and  see  it  and  pass  on 
the  grades?  I  am  sure  you  have.  Were  you  then  prepared  to 
show  him  that  he  was  absolutely  wrong  and  to  point  out  the  fact 
that  it  was  in  reality  above  grade,  instead  of  under  grade?  Could 
you  quote  the  grading  rules  to  him  from  memory  and  show  him 
by  the  inspection  of  each  stick  or  board  that  it  was  up  to  grade, 
and  that  your  firm  or  mill  did  not  rob  him?  In  fact,  do  you 
actually  know  all  about  knots,  their  size,  form  and  quality  and 
how  many  different  kinds  there  are?  Do  you  know  all  about 
pitch  and  sap  and  wane  and  stains  and  checks,  splits,  grains,  etc., 
of  Grading  an(^  how  many  of  each  of  these  defects  are  allowable  in  each 
Rules  grade  and  kind  of  yellow  pine  lumber  according  to  the  length  of 

the  piece?  If  you  can  tell  each  of  these  things  you  are  entitled 
to  100  per  cent,  and  should  get  a  special  prize  for  efficiency  be- 
sides. In  grading  yourself  on  the  grading  rule  you  must  grade 
yourself  by  the  rules,  and  not  by  the  appearances  of  the  lumber. 
You  can  probably  make  a  correct  guess  as  to  the  proper  grade  of 
a  piece  of  lumber  by  appearances,  but  we  cannot  always  tell  the 
grade  of  efficiency  of  a  lumber  man  by  appearances.  What  per 
cent  are  you  efficient  in  the  knowledge  of  grades? 

Mr.  Woodhead :  Well,  as  the  gentleman  has  expressed  this 
question,  I  would  have  to  take  a  pretty  low  efficiency,  because  I 
can't  quote  those  rules  from  memory. 

The  Chairman :     We  will  strike  that  out. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  The  first  part  of  that  proposition,  going  out 
on  the  yard,  I  am  an  expert  at  that.  I  have  been  doing  that  a 
long  time;  and  I  claim  on  grading  rules,  75  per  cent. 

The  Chairman:     What  shall  we  give  him,  gentlemen? 

A  Voice :     That  is  right. 

Mr.  Woodhead:  I  can  grade  everything  except  flooring  and 
ceiling.  I  can  grade  some  of  that,  but  I  am  not  good  on  it. 

A  Voice:     Let  Mr.  Rhodes  grade  him  on  that. 

The  Chairman :  Mr.  Rhodes  didn't  hear  the  question,  gen- 
tlemen, and  we  haven't  time  to  read  it.  I  will  give  him  75 — I  will 
raise  it  ten,  and  make  it  85.  (Applause.) 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "Eight — Market  conditions,  prices, 
etc."  The  lumber  salesman  should  not  only  know  the  prices  of 
every  item  on  his  list  of  standard  cutting  at  the  mills  ready  for 
shipment,  but  he  should  be  able  to  quote  promptly,  without  re- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


57 


Market 


ferring  to  his  price  guide  and  figuring  several  minutes,  the  prices 

of   any   kind   of  yellow   pine   lumber  that  his   mill   or   firm   will 

manufacture.     As  before  stated,  he  should  be  as  familiar  with  the 

price  or  cost  of  special  cuttings  as  he  is  with  ordinary  stock  stuft. 

He  should  also  keep  in  close  touch  with  the  capacity  of  his  mills 

for  certain  kinds  of  cuttings  and  grades  and  shipments,  and  should 

know  at  all  times  the  quantities  of  each  kind  of  stock  on  hand,  by 

a  close  study  of  the  stock  sheets,  in  order  that  he  may  be  able  to 

co-operate  with  the  sales  manager  or  mill  in  moving  surplus  stock 

or  in  pushing  those  items  which  are  most  profitable,  as  well  as 

to    avoid   the   mistake   of   overselling   or    promising   shipment   or 

something  which  cannot  be  gotten  out  in  a  reasonable  time.    The    conditions 

traveling  salesman  should  also  be  a  student  of  the  lumber  market   Prices,  etc. 

in    its    broadest   sense.      He   should   be   thoroughly    familiar   with 

every   condition    which   has   affected   or   which   might   affect   the 

market,  and  he  should  be  prepared  to  answer  any  question  cor- 

rectly and  intelligently  as  to  the  cause  of  any  marked  fluctuation 

in  the  price  of  lumber.     He  should  be  able  to  perceive  the  economic 

relationship  between  prosperity  and  its  stability.     He  should  also 

be  able  to   forecast  the  probable  eras  of  business   depression   so 

that  he   may   protect   his    firm    from   the   evils   of   overselling   to 

financially   weak   concerns.      Are   you    efficient   in   these   things? 

If  so,  what  per  cent? 

Mr.  Woodhead  :  Not  exactly  in  the  language  of  the  ques- 
tion, but  as  I  understand  the  interpretation  of  that  phrase,  mar- 
ket conditions  and  prices,  I  claim  100  per  cent,  because  I  make  my 
living  that  way. 

A  Voice  :    Give  it  to  him. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "9.  Traffic  rates  and  transporta- 
tion." The  lumber  salesman  should  be  somewhat  of  a  traffic 
man.  He  should  be  perfectly  familiar  with  the  cost  of  delivery 
of  any  kind  of  lumber  to  any  given  point  in  this  territory.  To 
do  this  he  must  know  the  freight  rate  and  the  weight  of  each  Traffjc 
class  of  yellow  pine  lumber.  He  should  know  the  approximate.  Rates  and 
number  of  feet  required  to  make  up  a  minimum  or  maximum  car 
of  any  one  kind  of  lumber,  and  the  same  if  in  mixed  cars.  He 
should  also  be  familiar  with  the  best  routing  from  his  mill  to  the 
customer  and  be  prepared  to  answer  any  reasonable  question  his 
customer  might  ask  relative  to  weight,  rate,  transportation,  rout- 
ing, etc.,  jetc.  In  these  things,  what  per  cent  are  you  efficient? 


* 


58 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Retail 


Mr.  Woodhead :  Well,  that  is  rather  a  narrower  interpretation 
than  I  had  given  myself.  Thinking  the  matter  over  this  morning, 
I  believe,  as  it  is  expressed  there,  I  can  claim  75  per  cent. 

A  Voice :     Oh,  100  per  cent. 

Mr.  Dionne:    You  can  do  a  little  better  than  that,  can't  you? 

The  Chairman :     Gentlemen,  what  shall  we  credit  him  ? 

A  Voice:    Give  him  100. 

The  Chairman:    All  right,  we  will  credit  him  100. 

A  Voice :    You  are  not  supposed  to  know  all  the  rates. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "10.  Retail  merchandizing."  I  be- 
lieve, as  a  rule,  lumber  salesmen  fail  to  appreciate  the  immense 
value  of  a  knowledge  of  the  retail  lumber  business,  but  in  my 
Merchandizing  judgment  such  knowledge  is  inestimable.  The  more  you  can  find 
out,,  learn  or  know  about  the  retail  end  of  the  lumber  game,  the 
better  you  will  be  prepared  to  play  your  cards  to  win. 

If  you  sell  direct  to  the  retail  dealer  and  can  show  or  demon- 
strate to  him  that  you  are  familiar  with  the  demands  or  require- 
ments of  the  trade,  that  you  know  about  what  would  constitute 
a  fair  stock  or  assortment  of  the  various  kinds  and  grades  of 
material,  the  purpose  for  which  they  are  used  and  the  general 
methods  of  conducting  a  retail  lumber  yard,  the  closer  will  be 
your  relationship  with  him.  Under  these  circumstances  your  cus- 
tomer will  have  more  respect  for  your  business  knowledge,  and 
then  it  will  be  easier  to  obtain  his  confidence. 

If  you  are  familiar  with  the  demands  of  the  local  trade 
and  know  the  usages  for  which  the  several  kinds  of  lumber  are 
intended,  you  can  frequently  be  of  considerable  assistance  to  a 
retail  lumberman  in  making  up  his  order,  and  once  you  are  called 
upon  by  him  to  assist  him  in  that,  or  in  any  capacity,  you  have 
cemented  his  friendship  and  you  have  created  what  we  call  non- 
competitive  business. 

If  you  show  a  knowledge  and  familiarity  with  the  retail  end 
of  the  business,  your  customer  (provided  he  is  the  retail  dealer) 
will  frequently  call  on  you  to  assist  him  in  landing  a  job  in  his 
town  or  community,  which  means  more  business  for  you  as  well 
as  his  yard. 

In  addition  to  having  a  general  knowledge  of  the  retail  lum- 
ber business  in  your  territory,  you  should  have  a  specific  knowledge 
of  how  each  of  your  customers  conducts  his  particular  or  in- 
dividual business.  Of  course  you  must  use  tact  and  use  your 


How  the 
Salesman 
Can  Aid  His 
Customer 


SELLING     LUMBER  59 

eyes  and  ears  to  get  this  knowledge  and  information;  if  you  are 
a  good  business  man  as  well  as  a  good  salesman  you  might  some- 
times prefer  not  to  sell  this  particular  customer,  as  loose  meth- 
ods of  conducting  a  retail  lumber  business  are  examples  of  in- 
efficiency, and  inefficiency  is  the  forerunner  of  loss  and  failure. 

Therefore,  what  do  you  know  about  retail  lumber  merchan- 
dizing? You  may  grade  yourself  accordingly. 

Mr.  Woodhead:  I  want  to  say  that  I  was  in  that  business 
two  or  three  years,  and  I  claim  60  per  cent  on  it. 

A  Voice:     Seventy-five. 

The  Chairman :     We  will  give  him  60. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  I  think  60  is  fair  enough.  I  don't  think 
I  am  entitled  to  any  more  than  that.  I  don't  mean  by  that  that 
I  actually  ran  the  yard  myself.  I  was  part  owner  of  five  or  six 
yards,  and  directed  them  for  two  or  three  years  and  made  money 
out  of  them. 

Mr.  Dionne:  This  question  does  not  necessarily  imply  that 
a  man  must  have  retail  yard  experience,  any  more  than  you  would 
have  to  go  into  the  steel  business  in  order  to  have  knowledge 
of  what  they  ask  there  about  other  building  material — steel  and 
cement.  It  is  what  you  know  about  it. 

A  Voice:     Seventy-five. 

The  Chairman :  All  in  favor  of  60  hold  up  their  hands.  All 
in  favor  of  75  hold  up  their  hands.  Sixty  has  it. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "11.  Courtesy."  Courtesy  is  per- 
haps the  finest  accomplishment  of  a  human  being.  It  is  the  badge 
of  refinement ;  it  signifies  consideration  for  others ;  it  bespeaks 
unselfishness,  it  creates  good  will,  it  makes  friends,  it  makes  busi-  The  Value 
ness,  it  makes  money !  It  costs  nothing  but  produces  more  profit 
than  all  the  side  lines  in  the  world.  It  is  a  tremendous  factor 
for  success  in  every  business,  and  it  is  one  of  the  chief  essen- 
tials of  a  lumber  salesman. 

Are  you  courteous?    If  so,  what  per  cent? 

A  Voice :  Without  going  any  further,  gentlemen — he  is  easily 
entitled  to  100  per  cent.  (Applause). 

A  Voice:  I  had  the  privilege  of  working  for  Mr.  Woodhead 
a  number  of  years  and  I  want  to  grade  him  100  per  cent. 

The  Chairman :    One  hundred. 

A  Voice:     Make  it  110. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "12.  Truthfulness  and  honesty." 
The  day  has  passed  when  a  man,  firm  or  corporation  could  be  dis-  and  Honesty 


60  SELLING     LUMBER 

honest  with  his  trade  or  customers  and  still  succeed.  That  "hon- 
esty is  the  best  policy"  in  business  was  never  more  truthful  than 
today. 

One  of  the  biggest  assets  of  success  for  any  traveling  sales- 
man to  possess  is  the  confidence  of  his  customers,  and  there  is 
no  surer  or  better  way  to  obtain  the  confidence  than  by  being 
absolutely  honest  and  truthful  in  your  dealings  with  your  custom- 
er. By  being  honest  with  him  is  to  never  misrepresent,  or  tell 
him  an  untruth,  even  though  you  miss  the  opportunity  of  selling 
a  bill,  and  to  never  take  advantage  of  his  ignorance  or  inexpe- 
rience. If  he  asks  you  if  you  can  ship  a  car  of  a  certain  kind 
of  material  at  once,  and  you  know  it  is  impossible,  the  thing  to 
do  is  to  tell  him  so.  In  other  words,  a  traveling  salesman  is  jeop- 
ardizing his  business  by  making  any  kind  of  misrepresentation 
or  telling  any  kind  of  an  untruth  to  get  business.  As  sure  as 
you  do,  .your  customer  will  find  it  out,  and  you  have  lost  his  con- 
fidence and  his  trade. 

In  addition  to  being  honest  with  your  customers  or  trade, 
are  you  honest  with  your  firm?  Are  you  honest  in  giving  your 
firm  the  full  time  for  which  you  are  paid?  Are  you  honest  in 
your  expense  accounts?  Are  you  honest  or  truthful  in  your  state- 
ments? If  you  are  not  honest  in  all  these  things,  it  will  not  be 
long  before  there  will  be  a  lumber  salesman  out  of  a  job. 

Are  you  honest  and  truthful  to  your  trade  and  your  firm? 
If  so,  how  honest?  You  may  record  your  per  cent  according  to 
the  dictates  of  your  conscience. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  Gentlemen,  I  would  be  untrue  to  myself, 
and  to  those  high-  ideals  that  have  always  governed  my  conduct, 
if  I  claimed  one-tenth  of  1  per  cent  less  than  100.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "13.  Self-control."  Self-control  is 
the  brake  which  our  Creator  has  attached  to  our  mental  machin- 
ery and  is  intended  for  us  to  apply  or  use  when  we  find  our- 
selves in  danger  of  slipping  down  the  hill  or  over  the  precipice 
into  the  chasms  of  error.  Self-control  is  a  product  of  civilization. 
Self-Control  Savages  have  none.  Self-control  is  a  fire  escape  which  keeps 
A  Brake  us  f rom  being  consumed  by  our  passions.  It  is  the  safety  valve 
which  keeps  our  feelings  from  bursting  into  anger  or  fury.  Self- 
control  is  the  stern  guardian  of  our  desires,  and  warns  us  against 
our  follies,  and  is  the  vigilant  watchman  who  warns  us  always 
of  the  approaching  danger,  with  the  oft-repeated  words — Think! 
Stop!  Look!  Listen! 


SELLING     LUMBER 


61 


Self-control  is  a  power  which  not  only  enables  us  to  con- 
trol ourselves,  but  otfiers.  Without  it  we  would  be  weak.  With 
self-control  we  are  strong,  and  being  strong,  we  will  be  sure  to 
win. 

Self-control  is,  therefore,  an  important  factor  in  business, 
an  essential  element  of  personal  efficiency,  and  a  promoter  of 
power  and  success. 

What  per  cent  will  you  grade  in  self-control? 

Mr.  Woodhead :  Is  the  application  of  that  limited  to  busi- 
ness and  business  life? 

Mr.  Dionne :    Oh,  I  should  judge  so. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  Inside  of  business  life  I  claim  90  per  cent. 
I  don't  know  whether  you  will  give  it  to  me  or  not. 

A  Voice :     Ninety  is  all  right. 

The  Chairman :     Ninety. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "14.  Confidence  in  self  and  your 
goods."  "Faint  heart  never  won  fair  lady"  is  a  saying  that  can 
be  applied  to  business.  If  you  have  a  faint  heart,  a  timid  hesita- 
tion, a  lack  of  confidence  in  yourself  or  the  product  which  you 
sell,  you  will  never  woo  or  win  the  favors  of  the  fair  goddess 
called  Success.  In  order  to  win,  you  must  absolutely  conquer 
Fear. 

To  be  a  successful  lumber  salesman  you  must  enthusiastically 
believe  in  yourself  and  in  the  lumber  you  sell.  By  believing  in 
yourself,  I  do  not  mean  that  you  should  be  egotistical  or  vain. 
Egotism  and  vanity  are  the  virtues  of  fools.  That  confidence  in 
self  which  the  true  traveling  salesman  should  have  is  that  confi- 
dence which  is  born  of  ability. 

Lack  of  confidence  is  an  acknowledgment  of  weakness.  Weak- 
ness has  no  place  in  the  makeup  of  efficiency.  You  must  believe 
in  yourself  and  your  goods,  and  what  you  believe  will  be!  Have 
you  confidence  in  yourself  and  in  the  product  you  sell?  If  so, 
what  per  cent? 

Mr.  Woodhead:     I  think  it  is  120,  myself. 

The  Chairman :     One  hundred  per  cent. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "15.  Loyalty."  Loyalty  is  a  su- 
perb blending  of  appreciation  and  faith  and  patriotism,  and  is  one 
of  the  noblest  attributes  of  man.  Loyalty  is  the  tie  which  binds 
friend  to  friend,  man  to  man.  It  is  that  quality  which  soothes 
the  pain  of  sacrifice,  which  makes  it  easy  to  forgive,  which  closes 
our  vision  to  the  faults  of  those  who  have  befriended  us. 


Confidence 
in  Self 
and  Your 
Goods 


Loyalty  a 

Business 

Essential 


62  SELLINGLUMBER 

Loyalty  to  your  firm  is  like  patriotism  to  your  country. 
Without  it  you  are  a  traitor.  It  is  that  quality  which  arouses 
you  to  arms  in  defense  of  your  country,  and  likewise  would  cause 
you  to  resent  an  insinuation  against  the  character  of  your  firm 
as  an  insinuation  against  yourself.  Loyalty  is  that  characteristic 
which  makes  you  a  part  of  your  firm ;  therefore,  it  is  a  splendid 
essential  in  business  efficiency.  Are  you  loyal?  If  so,  what  per 
cent? 

Mr.  Woodhead:  Well,  I  don't  like  to  claim  all  the  hundreds 
in  the  calendar. 

A  Voice:     You  are  entitled  to  it. 

Mr.  Woodhead  •  I  am  going  to  say  that  I  believe  I  am  100 
per  cent  loyal.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "16.  Personal  neatness."  A  man's 
personal  appearance  in  any  line  of  business  may  often  be  the  di- 
rect cause  of  his  success  or  failure  at  the  critical  moment.  The 
Thelm  rt  wor^  judges  very  largely  by  appearances,  and  first  appearances 
ance  of  are  most  lasting.  Therefore  traveling  salesmen  should  look  well 

Nearness  to  their  Personal  appearance  by  being  neat  in  body  and  in  dress. 

A  well  kept,  systematic,  clean,  orderly  and  attractive  store 
or  establishment  of  any  kind  suggests  thrift;  and  on  the  same  line 
of  suggestion,  a  well  groomed,  well  dressed  man  creates  the  idea 
of  thrift,,  prosperity  and  success,  and  "nothing  succeeds  like  suc- 
cess." 

On  the  other  hand  a  man  who  is  slovenly  in  his  general  ap- 
pearance, with  unshaven  face,  unshined  shoes,  soiled  collar  and 
cuffs,  suggests  laziness,  and  laziness  creates  contempt,  or  disre- 
spect. 

Customers  very  frequently  form  their  ideas  of  a  wholesale 
concern  from  the  appearance,  actions  and  characteristics  of  their 
traveling  representatives.  Therefore,  create  a  good  impression. 
Be  a  Credit  to  your  firm,  and  let  your  personal  appearance  be  such 
as  to  suggest  thrift,  industry,  prosperity  and  success,  and  it  will 
make  you  more  successful,  therefore,  more  efficient. 

What  per  cent  are  you  entitled  to  in  neatness? 

Mr.  Woodhead:  What  time  of  day?  In  the  morning  I  am 
all  right. 

The  Chairman :    What  shall  we  give  him  ? 

Various  Voices  :     Ninety-eight— 100— 75— 100.    i 

Mr.  Woodhead:  I  didn't  know  this  was  coming  or  I  would 
have  fixed  up  a  little. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


63 


The  Chairman  :    One  hundred. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  I  hate  to  be  in  jeopardy  twice.  I  have  al- 
ready passed  on  truthfulness. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "17.  Tact  and  judgment."  Tact 
and  judgment  are  almost  synonymous  terms  which  denote  two  of 
the  most  important  mental  faculties  which  a  business  man  should 
possess. 

Judgment  is  the  judge  enthroned  in  the  court  of  our  reason, 
before  whorf  we  submit  all  questions  of  doubt  and  expediency. 
Judgment  never  errs  in  his  decision,  yet  judgment  never  gives 
advice  unless  asked,  because  judgment  is  cautious  and  discreet. 

Tact  is  an  attorney  in  the  court  of  our  reason;  shrewd,  art- 
ful, keen,  to  whom  we  refer  our  delicate  and  intricate  problems  for 
adjustment.  But  tact  never  fights  a  case  in  court.  He  arbitrates. 
And  yet  he  always  wins  or  gains  the  point  desired.  Tact  never 
blunders,  seldom  fails,  is  popular  and  has  no  enemies. 

Without  judgment  and  tact  you  cannot  be  efficient.  What 
is  your  percentage  in  judgment  and  tact? 

Mr.  Woodhead :  Mr.  Chairman,  I  can  see  that  judgment 
and  tact  are  not  synonymous,  according  to  my  interpretation  of 
those  terms,  and  I  don't  know  whether  I  can  strike  an  average 
on  them  or  not,  because  there  is  a  difference.  I  would  claim  80 
per  cent ;  because  judgment  is  a  very  rare  quality,  and  we  all 
make  mistakes.  No  man  is  perfect  in  that. 

The  Chairman :     What  shall  we  give  Mr.  Woodhead  ? 

A  Voice :     What  he  claims. 

The  Chairman:     Eighty  per  cent. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "18.  Personality,  address,  approach." 
WTe  now  come  to  that  element  of  efficiency  which  we  can  see  in 
others,  but  we  cannot  describe.  That  intangible  something  which 
commands  attention.  That  magnetic  influence  which  makes  you 
look  and  look  again,  and  listen,  and  listen  again.  I  do  not  know 
whether  the  quality  is  physical  or  mental,  or  both,  but  whatever  it 
is,  it  is  called  "personality." 

There  are  various  kinds  of  personality,  but  all  are  distinctive 
in  character  or  temperament.  The  kind  that  I  am  speaking  about 
is  the  one  I  have  just  outlined,  the  kind  .that  commands  imme- 
diate attention  when  you  walk  into  a  man's  place  of  business, 
the  kind  that  makes  your  customer  greet  you  first,  the  kind  that 
makes  your  customer  feel  that  he  would  like  to  know  you  bet- 
ter and  more  intimately,  the  kind  that  makes  your  customer  glad 


Tact  and 
Judgment 


Personality, 

Address, 

Approach 


64 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Initiative  and 
Originality 


Economy 
and  Profits 


when  you  call  and  sorry  when  you  leave,  the  kind  that  makes 
your  customers  save  their  orders  for  you,  the  kind  that  creates 
enthusiasm,  good  cheer,  smiles,  and  makes  a  man  forget  his  trou- 
bles. This  is  the  personality  that  wins.  This  is  the  personality 
which  counts  100  per  cent  in  efficiency.  What  per  cent  have  you? 

Mr.  Woodhead:    I  refer  that  to  the  audience. 

A  Voice:     One  hundred. 

Mr.  Woodhead:  Don't  give  me  more  than  I  am  entitled  to. 
Let's  be  honest  about  it. 

A  Voice:     Give  him  90. 

The  Chairman:     We  will  make  it  75. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "19.  Initiative  and  originality."  The 
man  who  waits  to  be  told  to  do  everything,  who  works  by  the 
rule  and  clock,  who  never  does  more  or  less  than  the  routine  du- 
ties prescribed  for  him,  will  never  rise  above  his  present  position. 
Few  men  are  ever  paid  for  anything  more  than  what  they  earn; 
therefore,  the  man  who  is  not  increasing  his  earning  capacity  is 
seldom  increasing  his  earnings.  To  increase  your  earnings  is  to 
develop  your  capacity  for  work  and  make  the  work  bring  re- 
sults. This  requires  initiative  and  sometimes  originality.  The 
most  successful  men  in  business  are  generally  the  ones  who  created 
their  own  positions;  that  is,  they  developed  the  jobs  they  had 
from  comparatively  insignificant  to  executive  positions.  The  man 
who  cannot  improve  his  job,  create  new  responsibilities,  broaden 
its  scope,  increase  its  results  and  improve  its  efficiency  is  not  the 
man  the  modern  business  men  tie  to.  Business  men  of  today  are 
on  the  alert  for  men  with  ideas,  men  with  initiative,  men  with 
originality,  men  who  can  develop  the  positions  which  they  hold 
to  the  maximum  of  efficiency. 

This  is  especially  true  with  reference  to  traveling  salesmen. 
Sales  managers  want  salesmen  with  initiative,  with  originality. 
Without  it  you  will  never  progress.  Have  you  got  it?  If  so,  what 
per  cent. 

Mr.  Woodhead:  I  don't  think  I  have  got  them  both  in  equal 
measure.  I  would  claim  80  per  cent  on  initiative,  and  about  60 
on  originality. 

The  Chairman:    That  makes  70.     How  about  70,  gentlemen? 

A  Voice:     Give  it  to  him. 

Mr.  Dionne  (reading)  :  "20.  Economy  and  profits."  By 
economy,  as  it  relates  to  a  traveling  salesman,  I  mean  the  ability 
to  sell  at  the  minimum  cost. 


SELLINGLUMBER  65 

Some  salesmen  have  enormous  sales,  but  the  cost  of  selling 
is  so  great  that  it  offsets  the  profits.  Other  salesmen  may  only 
sell  one-half  the  quantity  in  a  given  length  of  time,  and  yet  the 
net  profit  on  their  sales  may  be  greater  than  that  of  the  man  who 
holds  the  record  for  volume.  Volume  is  a  fine  thing  under  cer- 
tain conditions,  which  I  will  enumerate,  but  it  is  all  wrong  unless 
it  is  accompanied  by  profit. 

Profits,  as  made  in  the  wholesale  lumber  business,  may  be 
created  in  two  ways :  First,  by  the  margin  or  difference  between 
the  cost  of  the  lumber  delivered  at  destination  and  the  price  at 
which  it  was  sold.  From  the  profit,  which  is  termed  the  gross 
profit,  the  cost  of  selling  the  lumber  must  be  deducted,  which 
leaves  the  net  profit.  If  the  gross  profit  on  a  car  is  only  $20, 
and  it  costs  $8  per  car  to  sell  it,  your  net  profit  on  that  car  of 
lumber  is  $12.  Therefore,  if  you  have  a  fixed  market  price  at 
which  you  must  sell  your  product  there  is  only  one  other  way  you 
can  increase  the  profit,  and  that  is  by  decreasing  your  expenses,  or 
by  increasing  your  sales  without  increasing  the  expenses.  Thus 
if  you  sell  60  cars  this  month,  and  your  expenses  are  $200  for 
the  month,  it  has  cost  $3.33  per  car  to  sell.  But  if  you  can  sell 
120  cars  this  month  without  increasing  your  expense  account, 
the  cost  of  selling  is  only  $1.67  per  car.  But  if  you  double  your 
sales  from  60  to  120  cars  per  month,  and  double  your  expenses 
also  from  $200  to  $400,  your  cost  to  sell,  per  car,  is  exactly  the 
same  on  60  cars  as  it  was  on  120  cars. 

Therefore  the  efficient  traveling  salesman  watches  his  ex- 
pense account ;  he  keeps  in  close  touch  of  his  record  of  cost  to 
sell ;  he  strives  from  month  to  month  to  increase  his  profit,  to  re- 
duce his  expenses  and  to  decrease  his  cost  to  sell  per  car.  Are 
you  efficient  in  this  respect?  If  so,  to  what  extent? 

Mr.  Woodhead :  That  proposition,  in  its  last  analysis,  is 
the  amount  of  profit  per .  thousand  feet.  I  am  disregarding,  to 
some  extent,  the  question  of  economy,  because  my  sales  always 
cost  me  more  than  some  others'  do.  I  claim  90  per  cent. 

The  Chairman:     Shall  we  give  him  90?    All  right— 90. 

Mr.  Dionne   (reading)  :     "21.     Knowledge  of  human  nature, 
psychology."     One  of  the  most   superb  mental  qualifications    for   ^srytCjJ1e°logy 
a  traveling  salesman  to  possess  is  the  ability  to  quickly  judge  hu-    Salesman 
man  nature. 


66  SELLING     LUMBER 

The  faculty  is,  to  a  large  extent,  intuitive;  or  I  might  better 
express  it  by  saying  that  the  ability  to  judge  human  nature  is  a 
species  of  psychological  instinct. 

This  is  the  faculty  which  will  tell  you  almost  what  your  cus- 
tomer is  thinking  about  when  you  are  trying  to  convince  him  that 
he  should  give  you  the  order,  and  it  enables  you  to  anticipate  his 
objections  or  questions  before  he  has  uttered  them.  This  faculty 
is  also  the  power  to  determine  the  truth  of  any  statement  which 
might  be  made  by  your  doubtful  customer;  it  tells  you  of  your 
customer's  peculiarities,  and  thus  enables  you  to  be  on  your  guard, 
and  not  offend.  It  enables  you  to  recognize  honesty  and  dis- 
honesty, and  to  determine  the  good  from  the  evil  in  human  nature. 
Psychological  power  or  instinct  is  a  .mental  detective,  a  sort  of 
"Old  Sleuth"  of  our  brains,  which  finds  out  and  tells  us  things 
about  others  in  strange,  mysterious  ways.  It,  like  all  detectives, 
works  secretly,  and  were  it  not  for  the  information  it  sometimes 
gives  us  about  others,  we  would  make  serious  mistakes. 

The  power  to  judge  human  nature  can  be  developed  and  cul- 
tivated by  being  observant,  and  watchful  of  all  those  with  whom 
we  come  in  contact ;  and  it  is  exceedingly  valuable  in  business, 
and  especially  in  the  art  of  salesmanship. 

Do  you  possess  these  qualities  of  mind?    If  so,  what  per  cent? 

Mr.  Woodhead :  I  would  rather  the  audience  would  pass  on 
that,  I  believe. 

Mr.  Dionne :    No. 

Mr.  Woodhead :    Seventy-five. 

The  Chairman :     Seventy-five  the  gentleman  wants. 

A  Voice:     Too  high. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  Well,  wait  a  minute.  Some  say  too  high. 
Speak  out !  You  can't  hurt  my  feelings. 

Various  Voices  :     Sixty  ;  about  65  ;  75. 

The  Chairman :     Seventy-five. 

Co-Operation  ^r*  Dionne   (reading)  :     "22.     Co-operation."     By  co-opera- 

Which  Means     tion  I  mean  team  work,  team  work  with  your  sales  manager,  team 
work  with  your  mill,  team  work  with  your  customers. 

It  is  by  team  work  that  we  are  enabled  to  cover  distance, 
to  accomplish  gigantic  tasks,  pull  the  heaviest  loads,  and  by  team 
work  we  can  always  make  better  progress  up  the  rugged,  rocky, 
narrow  road  of  success. 

By  team  work,  co-operation,  the  burden  of  the  "pull  for  busi- 
ness" is  more  evenly  distributed,  our  tasks  are  lightened,  and  we 


SELLINGLUMBER  67 

finish  the  day's  work  with  greater  distances,  and  greater  results, 
and  with  less  fatigue  than  if  each  pulled  for  himself,  in  as  many 
ways  as  there  were  men. 

The  value  of  team  work,  co-operation  in  business,  is  enor- 
mous, and  When  practiced  by  traveling  salesmen  in  conjunction 
with  all  those  who  are  associated  with  them,  is  a  part  of  effi- 
ciency. 

Do  you  practice  team  work?  Do  you  co-operate?  If  .so,  what 
per  cent? 

Mr.  Woodhead :  I  am  billed  to  deliver  an  address  tomor- 
row on  "Co-operation,"  and  I  think,  if  it  comes  to  going  into 
anything  heart  and  soul,  I  can  get  100  on  that.  (Applause). 

Mr.  Dionne   (reading)  :     "23.     Wisdom."     We  now  come  to 
the  last  of  the  list  of  essentials  for  a  traveling  salesman,  and  prob-    Wisdom —     • 
ably   the  greatest.     This   essential   qualification  is   wisdom.     Wis-    the  Salesman's 
dom  might  by  some  be  confused   with  knowledge,  or  with  judg-    uable  Asset 
ment,  but  wisdom  is  different. 

Knowledge  is  that  technical  or  specific  information  you  ac- 
quire by  study  or  work  about  a  certain  thing,  trade  or  profession. 

Judgment  is  the  ability  to  decide  correctly  between  two  or 
more  paths  which  lead  in  different  directions,  or  the  ability  to  de- 
termine the  right  from  the  wrong,  the  good  from  the  bad.  Judg- 
ment, as  before  stated,  is  the  judge  which  presides  in  the  tribunal 
of  our  minds. 

Wisdom  is  still  greater.  Wisdom  is  the  guardian  of  all  our 
mental  faculties,  and  is  the  tutor  of  knowledge.  Were  it  not  for 
wisdom,  all  the  knowledge  you  possess  would  be  valueless.  Knowl- 
edge is  something  acquired.  Wisdom  is  an  inborn  faculty.  You 
may  teach  a  parrot  to  talk,  but  lacking  wisdom,  it  does  not  know 
what  it  says.  Thus,  to  obtain  the  best  results  from  the  knowledge 
you  possess  as  a  traveling  salesman,  you  must  have  that  executive 
faculty  called  wisdom  to  direct  its  use,  and  thereby  obtain  the  best 
results. 

To  be  absolutely  efficient  you  must  therefore  have  wisdom. 

Are  you  wise?     If  so,  what  per  cent? 

Mr.  Woodhead :    As  applied  to  my  business  career,  of  course  ? 

Mr.  Dionne :     Rather  as  applied  to  lumber  salesmanship. 

Mr.  Woodhead:  As  applied  to  lumber  salesmanship?  Well, 
if  it  is  limited  to  the  application,  lumber  salesmanship,  I  can  claim 
85  per  cent. 


68  SELLINGLUMBER 

The  Chairman :  We  add  all  of  these,  divide  by  23,  and  the 
answer  is — we  get  it  here  83^ 'per  cent. 

A  Voice:     Pretty  good  salesman.     (Applause). 

Mr.  Dionne   (reading)  :     These  twenty-three  essentials  which 

1  have  just  named,  and  briefly  analyzed,  are,  I  think,  the  neces- 
sary qualifications  for  a  100  per  cent  efficient  modern  lumber  sales- 
man.   If  you  have  graded  yourself  as  I  enumerated  them,  and  have 
been  honest  enough  with  yourself  to  try  and  not  run  in  your  No. 

2  qualities  for  No.  1  and  B  and  Better,  I  am  sure  you  will  not  be 
denied  your  legitimate  claims  for  your  true  grade  as  a  traveling 
salesman. 

(Mr.  Tolson's  address  in  full  will  be  found  on  page  286). 
A  Voice :     Mr.  Chairman ! 
The  Chairman  :    Captain  White ! 

Captain  White :     I   have  known  Mr.   Woodhead   for   a   long- 
time.    I  never  expected  that  he  would  be  able  to  pass  such   an 
examination   as   this.      (Laughter).      I   am   bound  to  believe  that 
Captain          ^e  ls  entitled  to  the  credits  that  you  have  marked   up   for  him, 
White  Is        because  he  admits  it  himself.     (Laughter).     He  has  done  it  in  a 
Impressed     yerv  f-ne^  courteous  an(j  gentlemanly  manner;  and  he  has  meant 
to  be  truthful  and  honest,  and  I  therefore  suggest  that  this  body 
of  salesman  accept  the  candidate  as  a  model  for  their  future  guid- 
ance— a  model  being,  as  I  understand,  a  good  imitation  of  the  real 
thing.     (Laughter  and  applause). 

The  Chairman :  This  completes  the  program  for  the  after- 
noon. I  wish  the  committee  on  sales  and  distribution  of  the  South- 
ern Pine  Association  to  meet  me  on  the  stage  tomorrow  morning 
at  9  o'clock.  Be  prompt,  because  we  want  to  discuss  plans  for 
the  noon  luncheon.  The  regular  meeting  will  convene  at  9 :30. 
I  am  glad  to  say  that  we  have  a  telegram  from  General  Boyle,  in 
Washington,  that  he  will  be  here  to  address  us,  and  I  can  prom- 
ise you  a  rare  treat  tomorrow  morning.  Louisiana  and  Arkan- 
sas, please  come  up  and  report.  Everybody  must  be  here  at  9:30 
tomorrow  morning. 

At  this  point,  at  5  :30  o'clock,  p.  m.,  the  school  of  salesman- 
ship took  an  adjournment  to  9:30  o'clock  a.  m.  on  the  following 
day. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


69 


WEDNESDAY,  JUNE  28,  1916— FORENOON  SESSION. 

Pursuant  to  previous  adjournment,  the  school  of  salesman- 
ship reconvened  at  the  American  theater  on  Wednesday,  June 
28,  1916. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  at  9 :30  o'clock  a.  m.  by  Harry 
T.  Kendall,  chairman. 

The  Chairman:  Come  to  order,  gentlemen.  We  are  going 
to  vary  a  great  deal  from  the  printed  program  today.  A  number 
of  addresses  on  the  program  will  be  eliminated  entirely,  but  all 
will  appear  in  the  record.  We  are  going  to  endeavor — if  you  will 
give  us  your  full  attention — to  devote  the  larger  part  of  the  after- 
noon to  discussion.  In  fact,  we  are  going  to  have  all  the  papers 
or  addresses  delivered  this  morning.  I  am  going  to  introduce 
to  you  Mr.  \V.  M.  Beebe,  manager  of  the  yellow  pine  department 
of  the  Long-Bell  Lumber  Company  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  who 
will  address  you  briefly  on  the  subject  of  "Selling  Costs,  Direct 
and  Indirect."  (Applause). 

(iMr.  Beebe's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  255).^ 

The  Chairman:  The  next  paper  on  the  program  this  morn- 
ing is  "Co-operation  From  the  Sawmill,"  an  address  by  Mr.  Charles 
E.  Martin  of  the  Sabine  Lumber  Company,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 
Is  Mr.  Martin  in  the  hall?  (Mr.  Martin  comes  forward  and 
mounts  upon  the  stage).  Mr.  Martin!  (Applause). 

Mr.  Martin :  Mr.  Chairman,  Fellow  Salesmen  and  Gentle- 
men:  (Laughter).  When  I  received  the  notice  to  address  this 
assembly  I  didn't  let  the  chance  pass.  There  are  a  great  many 
men  better  adapted  to  the  subject  than  I  am,  but  I  don't  overlook 
anything  like  that.  Cedar  Rapids  and  the  state  of  Iowa  has  pro- 
duced some  very  prominent  men — Senator  Cummins,  and  Stan- 
ley Dodd,  and, the  Carey  sisters,  and  Pat  Crow,  and  myself.  I  am 
about  as  prominent  as  any  of  them. 

When  I  received  my  subject  I  wasn't  instructed  very  defi- 
nitely, and  it  would  appear  that  I  might  cover  the  whole  business. 
(Laughter).  You  will  pardon  me  for  the  rather  indefinite  man- 
ner in  which  I  have  treated  this  subject,  because  I  didn't  know 
exactly  what  was  expected  of  me.  My  wife  wrote  this  thing, 
and  I  will  have  to  read  it.  (Laughter). 

(Mr.  Martin's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  243). 

The  Chairman:  The  National  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Asso- 
ciation is  doing  a  great  work  for  the  industry,  not  only  in  handling 


Mr.  Beebe 
Talks  on 
Selling 
Costs 


Mr.  Martin  on 
Co-Operation 
from  the 
Saw-Mill 


70 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Mr.  Sterling 
on  the  Use 
of  Wood 


The  Value 
of  Knowing 
Your  Product 


problems  that  affect  all  branches  of  the  industry  in  all  sections 
of  the  country,  but  in  promoting  a  general  advertising  campaign 
for  the  use  of  wood  and  furthering  the  use  of  wood.  Mr.  E.  A. 
Sterling,  manager  of  the  Trade  Extension  Bureau  of  the  National 
Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association,  will  address  you  on  the 
"Merits  and  Limitations  of  Wood."  (Applause). 

Mr.  Sterling:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen:  It  did  not 
seem  feasible  for  me  to  give  you  in  a  paper  or  in  an  address  a 
whole  lot  of  the  details  about  wood.  You  know  a  great  many 
of  these  now.  You  probably  should  know  a  great  many  more  of 
them.  But  it  is  not  a  thing  that  you  can  get  by  some  one  stand- 
ing up  before  you  and  telling  you  about  it.  It  is  something  that 
you  have  got  to  dig  out  for  yourself.  So  what  I  have  done  in 
this  very  short  paper  is  to  review  some  of  the  things  that  you  al- 
ready know.  It  is  absolutely  nothing  new,  that  you  don't  know 
and  never  heard  of,  but  I  am  representing  these  simple  statements. 
We  are  handling  a  product  we  all  know  so  long  and  know  so  well 
that  we  have  overlooked  from  the  standpoint  of  the  consumer 
some  of  its  plain,  common,  everyday  advantages. 

(Mr.  Sterling's  paper  in  full  will  be  found  on  page  199). 

The  Chairman:  When  I  introduced  Dr.  Hermann  von 
Schrenk  to  you  the  other  day  I  didn't  have  an  opportunity  of  telling 
you  that  he  is  one  of  the  leading  authorities  in  this  country  on  wood. 
I  was  down  in  a  little  town  in  New  England  about  three  weeks 
ago  and  mentioned  something  about  yellow  pine,  and  they  asked 
me  for  my  authority.  I  said  that  Dr.  Hermann  von  Schrenk  said 
so,  and  they  believed  me  without  further  question.  It  is  my  pleas- 
ure again  to  introduce  to  you  Dr.  Hermann  von  Schrenk. 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  Gentlemen :  I  have  prepared  a  most 
beautiful  manuscript.  I  will  keep  that  in  my  pocket,  however, 
and  say  a  few  words  without  the  same.  If  you  care  to;  you  can 
read  what  is  in  the  manuscript  after  it  is  in  print. 

(Dr.  von  Schrenk' s  paper  in  full  will  be  found  on  page  218). 

Mr.  Sterling,  to  my  mind,  hit  on  the  keynote,  the  modern 
merchandising  of  yellow  pine;  and  that  is,  that  you  must  know 
something  about  yellow  pine  to  sell  it.  My  impression,  in  going 
about  the  country  for  a  good  many  years,  both  among  retailers 
and  consumers,  is  that  the  problem  which  confronts  us  today  in 
getting  the  public  to  not  only  appreciate  but  actually  buy  our  ma- 
terial, is  to  tell  them  something  about  it,  and  to  tell  them  some- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


71 


thing  about  it  in  a  way  which  is  at  least  equal  to,  and  possibly 
better  than  the  men  who  are  promoting  the  so-called  substitute 
material.  One  of  the  greatest  difficulties  that  has  confronted  those 
who  are  promoting  the  sale  of  lumber  is  that  they  talk  grades, 
lengths,  widths  and  practically  nothing  else.  The  time  has  gone 
by  when  that  is  going  to  put  lumber  in  the  position  in  which  it 
ought  to  be;  in  other  words,  the  time  has  gone  by  when  that  will 
suffice  to  hold  the  normal,  natural,  sentimental  hold  on  the  common 
American  people.  Mr.  Sterling  has  told  you  that  lumber  has  cer- 
tain qualifications  for  its  proper  application.  But  you  really  don't 
have  to  say  very  much.  You  only  have  to  appeal  to  the  funda- 
mental sentiment  which  is  in  the  public  already,  and  emphasize  that, 
and  impress  that  with  undisputed  facts,  in  order  to  put  it  across. 

What  kind  of  facts  are  to  be  mentioned  ?  I  haven't  time  here 
this  morning  to  more  than  skim  over  a  few  of  those.  The  kind 
of  facts  that  the  public  demand  refer  specifically  to  such  points 
as  Mr.  Sterling  has  mentioned ;  certain  physical  and  chemical  quali- 
fications of  the  material — strength,  lightness,  suitability  to  fire  or 
fire  resistance,  as  the  case  may  be,  hardness  and  softness,  and  a 
hundred  and  one  qualifications  which  any  physical  material  has. 
The  first  thing,  it  seems  to  me,  and  always  has,  for  a  person  who 
is  promulgating  a  certain  specified  item  is  to  be  so  very  conver- 
sant with  every  possible  technical  phase  of  the  qualifications  of 
his  material,  that  no  matter  what  the  question  will  be,  he  will  be 
in  a  position  either  to  say  that  is  not  so-and-so,  or  to  frankly  admit 
it,  and  say :  "I  don't  know  what  the  facts  are,  but  I  will  obtain 
the  information  for  you." 

Now,  in  spite  of  the  publications  and  various  pamphlets  is- 
sued by  these  -various  institutions,  it  is  not  very  surprising  that 
many  of  us  don't  know  all  these  facts.  But,  in  addition  to  the 
facts  obtained  by  reading,  to  me  very  much  more  important  are 
the  facts  obtained  by  actual  knowledge.  I  had  an  assistant  not 
many  years  ago,  a  graduate  of  a  university,  with  two  or  three 
years  of  railroad  experience  in  the  lumber  department,  whom  I 
sent  down  to  a  Southern  point  to  do  some  inspection  work.  After 
he  had  been  there  for  a  certain  period  of  time  he  became  greatly 
dissatisfied,  and  said  to  me  one  day:  /There  is  nothing  much  to 
do  down  here.  I  want  to  do  something."  I  asked  him:  "Why 
don't  you  investigate  the  qualifications  of  the  woods  in  this  par- 
ticular locality?"  "Well,"  he  said,  "I  don't  know  what  to  do." 


Facts  That 
Appeal  to 
the  Public 


Study  Yel- 
low Pine 
in  Use 


72 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Density 
Rule  Answers 
Questions 


I  said :  "If  you  are  serious  about  that  I  will  expect  from  you 
within  six  months  a  report  of  all  the  lumber  in  this  district  suit- 
able for  shingles,  within  a  radius  of  ten  miles."  He  said :  "How 
am  I  going  to  do  that?"  In  less  than  six  months  I  had  a  volumi- 
nous report  on  shingles.  He  had  fellows  climb  up  on  ladders  and 
swipe  a  shingle  or  two  from  houses  and  barns,  and  he  had  a  mass 
of  information  with  respect  to  the  particular  qualifications  of  the 
woods  for  shingles.  Now  every  one  of  you,  in  going  about  the 
country,  have  opportunity  to  examine  particularly  effective  results 
of  the  applications  of  yellow  pine ;  and  I  am  going  to^  speak  par- 
ticularly of  the  defects  of  yellow  pine. 

Now  let  me  rapidly  analyze  one  or  two  of  those.  One  of  the 
principal  causes  of  trouble,  which  I  .had  occasion  to  refer  to  day 
before  yesterday,  is  the  question  of  distinguishing  the  species. 
Why  is  short  leaf,  and  why  is  long  leaf,  and  so  on ;  and  you  have 
had  those  shot  to  you.  The  reason  that  this  question  has  been 
such  a  long-standing  source  of  trouble  is  that  we  haven't  had  a 
technical  basis  on  which  to  talk  squarely  and  right  out  about  that. 
As  I  said  the  other  day,  we  now  have  a  rule  that  is  a  very  logical 
rule,  prepared  by  the  United  States  Forestry  Service,  and  approved 
by  the  leading  technical  societies,  which,  has  become  practically  a 
standard  from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other — it  is  what  we 
call  the  Density  Rule.  The  Density  Rule  is  a  practical,  every-day, 
common-sense  method  which;  every  man  can  use  to  indicate  in  a 
broad  way  the  difference  between  a  heavy  stick  of  wood  and  a  light 
stick  of  wood.  The  weight  per  cubic  foot,  or  its  density,  is  a  cri- 
terion of  strength,  irrespective  of  whether  it  is  yellow  pine  or  any 
other  wood;  but,  referring  to  yellow  pine,  the  heavier  it  is  the 
stronger  it  is.  We  cannot  weigh  every  piece,  but  the  next  best  thing 
is  to  find  something  ocular,  entirely,  and  it  is  found  by  taking  the 
average  of  the  rings  in  the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  inches  from  the 
pith  and  measuring  the  number  of  growth  rings.  Each  of  the 
growth  rings  has  two  parts,  a  light  colored  part,  or  spring  wood, 
and  a  dark  colored,  or  summer  wood;  and  if  there  are  at  least  six 
growth  rings  to  the  inch,  and  these  have  an  average  of  at  least 
one-third  summer  wood,  it  makes  what  we  call  a  dense  piece  of 
pine.  Forget  about  short  leaf  and  long  leaf !  It  has  nothing  to 
do  with  it.  Forget  about  grade!  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  grad- 
ing. It  is  the  classification  of  the  wood  itself.  But  if  there  are 
not  six  annual  rings,  that  is,  if  there  are  less  than  six  rings  o/i 


SELLING     LUMBER 


73 


the  average,  it  must  have  at  least  one-half  summer  wood  to  class 
as  dense  yellow  pine.  In  fact,  under  that  classification  probably 
95  per  cent  or  more  of  the  timber  which  will  fall  in  that  grade 
will  belong  to  the  long  leaf  variety,  and  a  comparatively  small 
percentage  of  short  leaf  will  be  represented.  The  builder  of  the 
house,  however,  doesn't  care  whether  it  is  short  leaf  or  long  leaf 
or  loblolly.  He  wants  a  strong  stick.  Now,  any  piece  which  does 
not  come  within  that,  is  a  piece  which  is  secondarily  fitted. 

Now  that  density  rule  applies  specifically  to  strength.  It  has, 
so  far  as  we  know,  nothing  to  do  with  the  lasting  power.  Last- 
ing power  is  taken  care  of  by  the  percentage  of  heart  and  sap 
wood.  And  that  brings  me  to  the  next  point,  the  question  of  de- 
cay. A  pine  tree  growing  in  the  woods  up  to  its  seventieth  or 
eightieth  year,  possibly  a  little  longer,  is  usually  free  from  any  kind 
of  diseases  or  defects.  After  the  period  mentioned,  that  is,  after 
about  the  seventieth  year,  and  then  it  may  run  up  to  the  150th,  in 
some  instances,  it  is  subject  to  one  or  two  defects — using  a  broad 
classification — a  defect  which  starts  in  the  top  of  the  tree  in  the 
heart  wood  and  goes  down,  and  another  which  starts  at  the  root 
in  the  heart  wood  and  grows  up.  Of  those  two  defects,  the  top 
one  is  usually  known  as  red  heart,  or  dote  disease,  manifested  by 
red  discoloration  of  the  wood,  and  later  on  by  little  white  pockets. 
The  bottom  rot  is  manifested  by  discolorations  of  the  heart  wood 
and  ultimate  decay.  The  wood  will  then  crumble  into  fine  powder 
in  your  fingers.  Now,  those  two  types  of  disease  are  caused  by 
fungi  growing  in  the  trees.  Their  growth  stops  absolutely  when 
the  tree  has  once  been  cut.  In  other  words,  the  red  heart  disease 
stops  the  minute  the  tree  is  felled ;  it  does  not  continue  in  the  manu- 
factured lumber.  On  the  other  hand,  after  the  lumber  has  once . 
been  cut,  there  is  a  host  of  different  organisms,  both  insect  and 
fungus,  that  start  to  grow  in  that  wood,  and  as  a  result  causes 
what  we  call  dry  rot,  moist  rot,  black  rot,  and  all  sorts  of  decay, 
which,  however,  from  a  practical  viewpoint,  have  absolutely  no 
significance.  They  don't  mean  anything.  This  type  of  decay  first 
occurs  in  the  sap  wood.  In  other  words,  if  you  cut  off  all  of  the 
sap  wood,  the  length  of  life  of  the  heart  wood  would  be  fifteen, 
eighteen,  twenty  or  more  years,  depending  on  the  location.  Blue 
stain  is  caused  by  a  fungus,  the  spores  of  which  will  germinate 
on  a  pine  board  within  a  few  hours  after  it  is  put  in  the  pile,  and 
grows  with  astonishing  rapidity,  but  it  does  not  affect  the  fiber. 
In  other  words,  the  blue  stain  does  not  in  the  slightest  degree  weak- 


Density  Rule 

Measures 

Strength 


Diseases 
That  Attack 
Trees  and 
Lumber 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Condi- 
tions That 
Promote 
Development 
of  Fungi 


An  Example 
of  Misuse. 


en  the  wood  for  structural  purposes.  That  was  very  exhaustively 
tested  by  the  United  States  government  laborato^'  and  in  Ger- 
many. Blue  stain,  therefore,  is  simply  a  question  of  appearance; 
it  has  nothing  to  do  with  strength.  Furthermore,  it  occurs  always 
in  the  sap  wood,  and  never  in  heart,  and  therefore  is  always  a 
good  criterion  as  to  what  constitutes  heart  wood  and  what  con- 
stitutes sap  wood.  The  modern  mill  man  has  taken  steps  to  pre- 
vent blue  stain  by  dipping,  the  dipping  consisting  of  immersing 
the  board  at  the  end  of  the  sorting  table  in  various  chemicals,  su- 
dium,  carbonate  or  baking  soda  and  various  other  chemicals,  the 
cost  of  which  runs  within  about  10  or  11  cents  per  thousand  feet, 
board  measure,  according  to  the  cost  of  the  chemicals  employed. 
That  method  is  very  effective,  does  not  harm  the  lumber,  and  does 
not  increase  or  decrease  the  strength  of  the  material  from  a  struc- 
tural standpoint,  and  is  in  every  way  a  very  desirable  proceeding. 

The  fungi  which  grow  in  cut  lumber  do  so  because  of  certain 
physical  and  chemical  conditions.  Those  conditions  are  identical 
with,  the  conditions  of  other  life;  they  must  have  a  certain  food 
supply,  a  certain  water  supply,  a  certain  amount  of  air  supply  and 
a  certain  amount  of  heat.  Given  those  four  conditions,  the  fun- 
gus will  grow,  and  sooner  or  later  cause  decay.  Now,  one  of  the 
simplest  methods  of  preventing  that  decay  is  to  disturb  those  con- 
ditions ;  either  keep  the  timber  thoroughly  dry — I  would  be  glad 
to  show  you  a  section  of  wood  which  I  took  some  years  ago  in 
Switzerland,  which  had  been  on  a  cottage  700  years.  In  the  same 
way,  if  you  keep  it  under  water  it  will  never  rot.  The  piling  of 
the  prehistoric  lake  dwellers,  in  Lake  Geneva,  Switzerland,  is  just 
as  hard  today  as  it  was  then;  and  in  the  Campanile,  which  fell 
down  several  years  ago  in  Venice,  the  piling  had  been  continuously 
under  water.  An  examination  of  those  timbers  was  made  and  it 
was  unanimously  decided  that  they  would  serve  the  purpose  of 
building  a  new  foundation.  So,  either  keep  lumber  wholly  wet  or 
wholly  dry,  and  it  will  not  decay. 

Now,  how  does  that  apply  to  you?  There  are  a  thousand  and 
one  ways  in  which  Mrs.  Brown  and  Mrs.  Jones  uses  lumber  like 
yellow  pine  lumber  and  has  it  fail,  when,  if  they  keep  in  view  cer- 
tain simple  facts  it  would  last  and  be  well  adapted  for  their  pur- 
pose. 

Not  very  long  ago  I  was  walking  through  the  street  and  I 
saw  a  man  pulling  down  his  front  porch,  built  of  short  leaf  pine. 


SELLINGLUMBER  75 

The  bottom  of  the  posts  were  thoroughly  decayed  for  at  least  a 
foot,  or  a  foot  and  a  half.  The  heart  was  perfectly  sound,  but  it 
was  95  per  cent  sap.  I  asked  the  man  to  saw  off  a  foot  from  that 
rotten  piece.  He  looked  at  me  queerly  for  a  moment,  but  he  sawed 
it  off,  and  I  lugged  off  this  rotten  wood.  Now,  gentlemen,  that 
was  a  splendid  illustration  of  the  unfitness  of  the  lumber  material. 
The  man  ought  not  to  have  used  the  material  in  that  form.  "Yes," 
you  lumber  salesmen  say,  "but  if  it  rots  out  in  a  few  years,  we  will 
sell  the  fellow  another  stick."  Yes,  but  the  American  people  are 
accustomed  to  buying  good  stuff  for  their  own  buildings,  and  what 
is  liable  to  happen  is  that  unless  they  buy  good  material,  they  are 
going  to  get  tired  of  the  whole  'business  and  buy  something  else. 
It  is  not  so  much  the  waste,  however,  as  it  is  disrespect  for  the 
material  which  you  are  asking  the  public  to  use,  and  the  first  thing 
you  have  got  to  do  is  to  erase  that  disrespect  by  pointing  out  the 
elementary  facts.  Take  porches ;  many  of  you  have  seen  a  porch 
where  the  earth  or  sidewalk  bumps  right  up  against  it,  and  it 
will  rot  off  in  two  or  three  years ;  and  then  another  man  who 
sells  cement  comes  around  and  tells  him,  "Yes,  I  told  you  that.  ative Treat-" 
Our  stuff  doesn't  dn  that."  The  same  is  true  for  a  thousand  and  mentof 
one  applications.  Instead  of  sticking  it  down  into  the  soil  where 
the  moisture  will  attack  the  grain,  either  creosote  the  piece  on  the 
bottom,  or  put  it  up  where  it  has  a  foundation  with  good  ventilation. 
I  could  give  you  a  host  of  everyday  uses.  On  a  larger  scale,  com- 
ing to  a  rather  brand-new  field,  which  I  want  to  call  your  particular 
and  careful  attention  to,  is  the  question  of  the  artificial  preservation 
of  wood.  In  the  United  States,  as  far  as  the  lumber  industry 
is  concerned,  that  is  a  brand-new  field.  Some  years  ago  I  was 
standing  in  a  hotel  on  the  Strand,  in  London,  and  asked  the  porter 
to  wrap  up  a  parcel  for  me.  I  found  him  poring  over  a  pamphlet. 
I  looked  over  his  shoulder  and  found  it  was  a  pamphlet  by  a.  creosot- 
ing  company  on  the  east  coast  of  England  advertising  creosoted 
fences,  posts  for  barns  and  cribs,  and  so  forth.  I  asked  him,  "What 
are  you  doing?"  He  said,  "We  have  a  little  farm  up  in  the  country, 
and  my  father  and  I  have  a  little  fence  to  build  and  I  was  look- 
ing over  this  catalogue."  And  I  looked  over  the  catalogue  and 
promptly  swiped  it.  That  manufacturer  was  advertising  fencing  by 
the  yard,  including  2  by  4  posts  and  pickets.  How  many  people 
in  the  United  States  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing?  I  warrant,  very 
few.  I  want  to  tell  you  of  another  instance.  A  friend  of  mine  in 


76 


SELLING     LUMBER 


New  York  City  told  me  the  other  day,  with  great  glee,  that  he 
had  just  put  up  a  creosoted  garage  on  his  place  in  Tuxedo,  New 
Jersey.  I  said,  "Fine !  Where  did  you  get  the  lumber  ?"  He  said, 
"I  bought  it  in  a  town  in  England,  95  miles  east  of  London  on 
the  North  Sea."  I  said,  "What!  You  brought  it  all  the  way  there? 
What  is  it  made  of?"  He  said,  "Yellow  pine."  I  said,  "Good 
heaven?  Don't  you  know  there  is  some  yellow  pine  left  in  the 
England  United  States  ?  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  the  pine  grew  in  Norway, 

Us  in  Treating    was  taken  to  London,  creosoted,  packed,  shipped  to  the  seaboard, 
Lumber  loaded  on  a  vessel,  taken  to  New  York,,  unloaded  and  put  on  a 

railroad  train  and  taken  to  New  Jersey  and  put  up  there?"  Yes,  and 
the  man  was  tickled  to  death  with  it.  Great  Scott !  Today  we  have 
about  150  creosote  plants  in  the  United  States,  and  yellow  pine 
growing  in  the  South,  and  a  man  from  New  York  orders'  yellow 
pine  from  London.  Isn't  there  something  wrong  about  that  ?  Where 
were  some  of  you  men  ? 

Now,  what  is  true  of  the  creosoted  garage  is  true  of  many 
things — fence  posts,  hog  troughs,  creosoted  wood  block  paving. 
How  about  it?  Where  can  we  get  it?  Gentlemen,  ask  us.  We 
will  tell  you.  That  is  what  the  Southern  Pine  Association  is  doing. 
We  have  lots  of  creosoting  plants  in  the  United  States  today,  all 
of  them  ready  to  do  business.  What  can  we  say  about  ft?  I  am 
speaking  about  creosoted  lumber  particularly.  It  will  last  for  all 
time.  I  was  down  in  Virginia  the  other  day,  and  a  friend  showed 
me  a  piece  of  creosoted  loblolly  pine,  put  down  in  1881,  standing 
there  yet.  He  has  structures  of  various  sorts,  eighty  years  old. 
That  material,  properly  creosoted,  is  practically  indestructible. 
What  is  more,  it  is  possible  to  use  a  sap  grade,  a  lower  grade  of  lum- 
ber, which,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  cannot  conscientiously  be 
recommended  to  the  trade.  As  to  the  details  of  creosoting,  if  you 
will  read  this  valuable  paper  I  have  written,  you  will  find  out  about 
some  of  the  methods  that  are  employed.  This  will  not  tell  you  very 
much,  but  will  give  you  a  hint  of  it.  It  will  put  you  on  the  track  of 
asking  about  other  practices,  and  where  and  when  they  should  be 
applied. 

The  main  point  1  wish  to  mention  in  regard  to  the  density  rule 

TheSubsti-         an(*  treated  lumber,  is  that  you  have  to  apply  them.     What  is  the 

tute  Salesman     use  of  our  sitting  in  the  office  and  writing  papers  if   somebody 

dosen't  go  out  and  tell  the  public  about  it  ?    They  don't  know  it.    And 

the  reason  why  you  don't  sell  more  lumber  these  days,   and  the 


Sap  Lumber 
Good  When 
Creosoted 


SELLINGLUMBER  77 

concrete  man  is  selling  his  stuff,  is  because  he  is  on  the  job.  He 
makes  it  his  particular  business  to  circulate  around.  He  doesn't 
make  it  his  business  to  sell  500  sacks  or  so  a  day ;  he  goes  around 
and  talks  about  it  on  the  railroad  train  and  everywhere  else.  He 
knows  about  the  questions  of  strength,  and  how  to  make  tests. 
I  was  on  the  train  the  other  day  and  heard  a  man  dilating  learnedly 
about  rule  B-162  of  the  American  Society  for  Testing  Materials. 
How  many  of  you  know  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  rule  B-162? 
A  man  told  me  last  week,  "I  wish  you  would  bring  this  yellow  pine 
material  to  New  York."  I  would  like  to  take  175  engineers,  to  talk 
about  this  thing.  This  salesman  I  was  telling  you  about,  my  friend 
on  the  train,  was  talking  about  these  specifications.  He  knew 
all  about  the  testing  machine,  how  to  make  briquette  tests,  how  long 
it  should  be  soaked  in  water,  what  the  results  signify.  Where  did 
he  get  it  ?  He  probably  heard  some  engineer  talking  about  strength, 
and  he  wrote  in  to  the  home  office.  He  didn't  know  the  first  thing 
about  it ;  never  heard  of  it ;  and  he  wrote  to  his  office  and  they  sent  Association 
this  pamphlet;  and  to  hear  that  fellow  talk  about  strength  values,  wlt«Data 
ct  cetera,  you  would  think  he  was  the  fellow  that  drew  it  up.  The 
Southern  Pine  Association  has  on  its  staff  a  number  of  men  who 
are  devoting  much  time  to  digging  into  these  points.  If  you  on  the 
outside  hear  of  some  particular  problem,  don't  let  it  go  by.  Write 
it  down  on  a  piece  of  paper  and  send  it  in.  Let's  work  together  on 
this.  If  you  see  a  rotten  sidewalk  condition,  examine  it  carefully, 
examine  carefully  into  the  condition,  why  that  is  the  case.  If  you 
find  some  timber  is  broken,  or  doesn't  serve  its  purpose,  don't  let 
it  go  by,  and  say,  "Oh,  that  is  simply  what  Jones  sold  the  fellow. 
I  will  sell  him  something  better."  Examine  the  condition  and  write 
into  the  office  about  it,  either  to  your  company,  or  to  the  Associa- 
tion, and  the  first  thing  you  know  we  will  get  together  on  things  of 
that  sort,  and  you  will  be  as  implicitly  confident  of  not  only  the 
sentimental,  but  the  practical  application  and  value  of  your  material, 
which  will  make  it  a  joy  for  the  other  man  to  buy.  (Applause.) 

The  Chairman :  You  may  be  sure  that  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment is  seriously  interested  in  the  lumber  business.  They  have 
been  making  investigations  for  years  along  a  great  number  of  lines. 
One  of  the  principal  lines  of  investigation  has  been  the  possibility 
for  the  utilization  of  mill  waste.  Mr.  Howard  F.  Weiss,  Director  of 
the  Forest  Products  Laboratory  of  the  United  States  Forest  Service, 


78 


SELLING     LUMBER 


A  Forest 
Service 
Expert  Talks 
on  Mill 
Waste 


The  Loss 
in  Lumber 
Manufacture 


located  at  Madison,  Wisconsin,  will  address  you  on  this   subject 
(Applause). 

(Mr.-Weiss's  paper  in  full  will  be  found  on  page  232). 

Mr.  Weiss  :  Mr.  Chairman :  This  is  a  salesman's  convention, 
and  I  brought  my  satchel  with  me  (placing  a  suit  case  on  a  chair 
beside  him).  I  am  going  to  tell  you  about  its  contents  a  little 
later  on.  You  have  been  soaking  up,,  for  the  last  two  days  and 
nights,  information  concerning  lumber,  how  to  sell  pine  lumber.  It 
has  been  committed  to  me  to  talk  to  you  on  how  to  make  money 
on  material  that  is  not  good  enough  to  put  into  lumber.  That  re- 
minds me  of  a  story  I  heard  some  time  ago ;  doubtless  you  have 
heard  it — a  Southern  story.  A  man  asked  a  colored  gentleman  if 
he  could  change  a  two-dollar  bill.  He  said,  "No,  sir,  I  can't,  but 
I  is  much  obliged  for  the  compliment."  I  heard  a  discussion  here 
yesterday  on  short  dimensions,  and,  believe  me,  I  am  going  to 
"duck"  how  to  make  money  out  of  red  heart  and  knots  and  ma- 
terial of  that  kind.  But  I  am  much  obliged  to  your  committee  for 
asking  me  to  come  here  and  give  you  what  ideas  I  have  upon  this 
subject. 

I  think  it  is  not  far  from  the  truth  to  say  that  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  volume  of  the  standing  forests  is  wasted.  We  have 
made  some  figures  of  that  kind,  including  the  pine  belt  you  are  in- 
terested in ;  but  in  the  Douglas  fir  region  and  the  hard  wood  of 
the  North,  I  would  say  that  two-thirds  of  the  volume  of  the  stand- 
ing forests  is  wasted,  is  pretty  close  to  the  truth.  Now,  the  fact, 
of  course,  is  this :  That  small  quantity  of  lumber  has  to  pay  all  the 
cost  of  stumpage,  of  taxation,  of  carrying  charges,  of  operating 
charges,  salary  and  expense  account  for  you  gentlemen.  And  that 
is  an  awful  load  to  ask  of  one  product  to  carry.  Therefore  if  we 
can  work  out  from  this  two-thirds,  these  tremendous  costs,  some 
way  that  it  can  be  distributed  over  a  larger  per  cent  than  thirty- 
three  per  cent  of  the  total  volume  of  the  output,  it  is  going  to  make 
it  much  easier  for  you  to  sell  your  lumber  in  the  future ;  because, 
while  I  firmly  believe,  gentlemen,  that  the  price  of  lumber  is  go- 
ing higher  and  has  got  to  go  higher,  nevertheless  there  is  a  certain 
level  beyond  which  it  cannot  go,  as  these  substitute  materials  will 
come  in  and  take  the  market  away  from  you.  Lumber  still  re- 
mains a  comparatively  cheap  building  material. 

Now,  when  we  analyze  operating  costs,  what  is  the  poor  owner 
of  timber  going  to  do?  In  my  judgment  the  most  feasible  outlet 


SELLINGLUMBER  79 

for  him  is  to  get  a  profit  from  the  two-thirds  which  now  consti- 
tute waste.  I  will  now  take  up  about  twenty  minutes  of  your  time 
trying  to  show  you  wrhat  can  be  done  along  that  line.  This  prob- 
lem of  utilizing  this  waste  cannot  be  left  to  you  gentlemen  to  solve; 
but  before  you  can  sell  anything  you  have  got  to  have  something 
worth  selling.  You  can't  go  to  a  man  with  a  carload  of  knots  and 
slabs  and  edgings  and  trimmings  and  expect  to  sell  that  at  a  fabu- 
lous  price.  The  problem  is  one  of  tremendous  magnitude.  To  my  for  profits 

mind  it  requires  three  different  types  of  working:     First:   Find  out    jj  Closer 

...       Utilization 
\vnat  we  can  do  with  this  material;  what  you  can  make  out  01  it. 

Second :  After  you  have  found  that  out  go  ahead  and  make  it,  as  a 
manufacturing  proposition ;  then  after  you  have  made  it,  the  next 
thing  to  do  is  to  sell  it.  I  do  not  hold  you  responsible  for  finding 
the  uses  of  this  two-thirds  of  the  product  of  the  forests  that  is  now 
being  burned  up  or  going  to  rot.  The  problem  will  largely  be  as- 
signed to  men  like  myself,  and  the  manufacturing  people  through- 
out the  country,  and  then  finally  it  will  be  placed  in  your  hands. 

Utilization  of  waste  can  be  broadly  divided  into  two  groups: 
Mechanical  utilization,  whereby  we  simply  make  wooden  products 
out  of  waste,  and,  second,  chemical  utilization.  I  have  prepared  a 
paper ;  I  don't  know  whether  they  are  going  to  print  it  or  not ;  but 
in  this  paper  I  give  you  286  different  uses  to  which  Southern  Pine 
waste  is  now  being  put — that  is,  chemical  uses — 256  different  arti- 
cles that  are  now  being  made  out  of  the  waste  of  Southern  Yellow  utilization 

Pine.  In  addition  to  this,  a  good  many  other  things  like  piling,  Chemical  and 
railroad  ties,  are  now  being  cut  of  the  larger  sizes.  Now,  in  re- 
gard to  the  chemical  utilization  of  this  waste,  I  believe  it  is  along 
this  line  that  the  greatest  hope  lies,  that  the  greatest  progress  is 
going  to  be  made.  At  the  present  time  a  most  beautiful  avenue  of 
outlet  is  the  manufacture  of  this  material  into  paper.  Long  leaf 
pine,  in  fact  any  of  the  Southern  pine,  makes  a  splendid  grade  of 
the  strong  brown  wrapping  paper  known  to  the  trade  as  Kraft 
paper.  Kraft  means  strength.  In  the  mills  of  the  South  they  are 
making  paper  from  pine  with  more  or  less  success,  and  now,  due 
to  the  war  price  of  paper,  this  paper  is  selling  for  $120  a  ton,  and  Southern  Pine 
they  are  making  pretty  good  money.  We  are  trying  on  a  number 
of  experiments  with  this  Kraft  paper  from  pine,  and  have  suc- 
ceeded in  a  small  way  in  making  a  paper  that  is  about  sixty  per 
cent  stronger  than  even  the  best  Kraft  paper  now  being  made  by 
any  of  these  Southern  mills ;  and  I  hope  before  Christmas  we  will 


80 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Turpentine 
and  Rosin 


Possibilities 
in  Ethyl 
Alcohol 


have  demonstrated  these  papers  on  a  commercial  scale,  in  co-opera- 
tion with  one  of  the  Southern  mills  with  which  we  are  now  work- 
ing. There  is  a  tremendous  opportunity  for  manufacturers  to  make 
Kraft  paper  from  Southern  pine  waste.  Raw  pulp  is  being  shipped 
from  Norway  by  steamer  to  New  York  City  and  hauled  by  rail 
to  Chicago  and  then  on  local  freight  to  Wisconsin  and  there  being 
manufactured.  It  grieves  me  to  know  that  eighty  per  cent  of  the 
wrapping  paper  used  in  Brazil  and  Argentina  and  other  South 
American  countries  comes  from  Germany,  and  we  have  the  finest 
material  for  wrapping  paper  in  the  world.  I  believe  this  is  a  great 
opportunity  to  convert  a  large  proportion  or  this  waste  into  this 
particular  product — Kraft  wrapping  paper. 

Then  there  are  two  other  lines,  proceeding  from  the  distilla- 
tion, largely,  of  stumps — turpentine  and  rosin.  Just  before  I  left 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  talking  to  some  Milwaukee  capitalists  in  re- 
gard to  the  operation  of  two  plants  in  the  South  for  making  turpen- 
tine and  rosin.  They  told  me  that  even  with  the  very  low  prices 
that  have  been  prevailing  they  have  been  able  to  make  a  good 
profit  on  their  investment  and  they  are  now  considering  the  in- 
stallation of  five  more  plants,  to  be  erected  in  the  Florida  territory. 

The  third  product  which  is  now  being  made  commercially  from 
wood  waste  is  ethyl  alcohol — grain  alcohol.  One  company  that  I 
know  of  that  is  doing  that  successfully  is  the  Du  Pont  Powder 
Company  at  Georgetown,  South  Carolina.  They  are  turning  out 
this  ethyl  alcohol  which  had  formerly  been  dissipated  in  smoke. 
And  now  we  are  operating  with  the  Foreign  Products  Company  in 
regard  to  the  Fullerton  plant;  and  you  know  those  very  extensive 
alcohol  plants  at  Fullerton,  Indiana,  never  made  any  money  up  to 
date ;  but  I  believe,  within  a  year  that  plant  is  going  to  be  put  on  an 
operating  basis  and  is  going  to  pay  and  that  we  are  going  to  see  the 
installation  of  quite  a  number  of  these  grain  alcohol  plants,  not  only 
in  the  South,  but  in  the  northwest  territory,  up  in  Idaho,  Montana, 
and  the  Pacific  Northwest.  It  is  a  tremendous  field  for  the  manu- 
facturer of  this  ethyl  or  grain  alcohol  from  this  waste.  The  total 
chemical  utilization  of  Southern  pine  waste  now  amounts  to  only 
250,000  gallons — an  insignificant  item. 

I  want  to  show  you  a  product  that  is  being  made  from  this 
waste,  not  only  on  a  laboratory  scale,  but  on  a  commercial  scale ; 
and  right  here  I  would  like  to  interject  one  remark,  so  that  I  will 
not  be  misunderstood :  It  is  one  period  of  our  organization 


SELLING     LUMBER 


81 


Wall  Board 
Made  of 
Wood 


activities  to  work  out  a  thing  on  a  laboratory  scale,  and  then  we 

go  ahead  and  show  it  can  be  done  commercially.     The  first  step, 

of  course,  is  to  work  it  out  in  the  laboratory,  get  your  data,  and 

then  co-operate  with  some  commercial  concern  that  manufactures 

some  similar  product  on  a  large  scale,  and  test  out  the  ideas  for   ** ow  th^ 

commercial  work.     Now,  this  satchel  I  have  here,  except  for  the   ice  Experts" 

corners,  is  made  out  of  wood.     I  paid  a  dollar  for  it.     Before  the 

war  I  bought  it  for  fifty  cents.     Since  the  war  the  price  of  all 

paper  products  has  gone  up  tremendously. 

A  product  you  are  very  familiar  with,  no  doubt,  is  wall  board. 
I  have  several  different  kinds  of  wall  board  that  can  be  made 
from  wood  'waste.  Here  is  one  that  is  extraordinarily  light — 
lighter  than  cork.  That  is  being  used  extensively.  Here'  is  a 
board  that  is  much  heavier — very  strong  and  stiff.  There  is  a 
wall  board  made  from  wood  waste,  absolutely  fireproof.  This 
particular  product  goes  largely  into  the  construction  of  sailing  ves- 
sels, because  of  its  lightness  and  fire  resistance.  It  is  used  in 
building  ceilings  and  partitions  of  sailing  vessels. 

Here  is  a  new  use  of  wall  board  which  is  coming  into  rather 
extensive  use — making  blackboards  out  of  this  wall  board.  It 
is  nothing  but  wood,  ground  up  fine,  run  over  a  machine  and, 
pressed  into  a  board,  and  then  covered  with  a  light  crushed  stone, 
which  is  rolled  in.  And  they  make  this  in  dull  green,  which  is 
claimed  to  have  a  more  soothing  effect  on  the  eyes  of  the  school 
children  than  black.  It  is  being  used  quite  extensively. 

To  show  you  the  extent  to  which  some  of  the  manufacturers 
of  these  products  go,  I  show  you  this,  which  you  readily  recognize, 
and  which  is  being  distributed  to  a  lot  of  the  hotels  in  the  United 
States,  to  hang  up  your  coat  in  the  hotel,  and  really  is  meeting 
with  quite  a  favorable  reception. 

Now,  here  is  some  of  this  class  of  wrapping  paper  that  we 
made  ourselves  from  long  leaf  pine.  This  particular  quality  I 
have  here  is  considerably  stronger  than  the  best  grade  of  wrap- 
ping paper  that  is  now  being  made  in  the  United  States,  and  com- 
pares very  favorably  with  the  best  grade  of  wrapping  paper  made 
in  the  world. 

Here  is  twine  made  out  of  one  hundred  per  cent  wood.  This 
twine  is  now  being  experimented  with  by  your  Association  for 
tying  up  lath  and  other  products,  in  place  of  sisal  twine  which,  as 
you  know,  comes  from  Mexico.  If  we  can  make  out  of  this 


82 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Twine  Made 
from  Wood 
Waste 


A  Variety  of 
Novel  Uses 
for  Wood 
Waste 


Southern  pine  waste  a  twine  which  would  replace  sisal,  there  is 
enough  business  in  that  line  alone  to  keep  thirty  good  sized  mills 
running  day  and  night  throughout  the  year.  That  is  only  one  article 
that  could  be  substituted  for  the  twine,  the  raw  material  of  which 
now  comes  entirely  from  Mexico. 

Here  is  another  product,  a  pine  product,  which  has  been  used 
for  wrapping  wool.  That  is  one  hundred  per  cent  wood.  Ninety 
per  cent  of  the  wool  that  is  now  being  rolled  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi is  baled  with  twine  made  absolutely  from  wood. 

Then  we  are  making  rope.  This  particular  piece  of  log- 
line  was  trailed  through  the  seas  for  eight  thousand  miles.  Here 
is  a  rope  made  entirely — I  believe  it  is  sash  cord — instead  of 
being  made  from  cotton,  this  has  been  made  out  of  wood. 

Here  is  a  different  kind  of  pine  product — \voven.  We  have 
been  commercially  showing  girls  how  to  make  baskets  and  other 
household  articles,  rather  artistically. 

Here  is  another  product  made  entirely  out  of  wood.  The 
idea  is  to  fill  that  up  with  milk  and  after  using  it  you  can  throw 
the  bottle  away.  The  glass  milk  bottle  is  a  very  big  item  to  the 
man  who  wants  to  get  away  from  it. 

There  is  a  sausage.  The  casing  is  made  entirely  out  of  wood 
—100  per  cent  wood. 

Here  is  a  brand  new  product  that  has  only  been  on  the 
market  about  a  year.  It  does  not  look  much  like  wood,  does  it? 
That  product  is  being  made  to  take  the  place  of  celluloid  in  the 
manufacture  of  photographic  films ;  also  to  wrap  up  candy.  Very 
interesting.  All  wood. 

There  is  another  product — that  is  all  wood,  from  here  to  here 
(a  stocking).  Here  is  cotton,  and  here  is  cotton,  and  here  is  cot- 
ton, but  the  rest  is  all  wood.  It  is  what  is  known  as  artificial 
silk.  Maybe  some  of  you  have  them  on  now.  They  are  a  good 
article. 

Here  is  a  silk  cloth,  made  of  two  different  kinds  of  wood — 
100  per  cent  wood. 

A  Voice:     Where  is  that  manufactured? 

Mr.  Weiss:     Pennsylvania. 

A  Voice:    What  kind  of  wood  is  the  sock  made  of? 

Mr.  Weiss:  Made  out  of  any  kind  of  wood,  but  they  are 
using  mostly  hemlock  and  spruce,  because  most  of  those  plants 
are  up  in  the  north. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


83 


A  Voice:     Will  that  stocking  turn  yellow? 

Mr.  Weiss :     No. 

I  have  a  product  here  that  is  not  made  in  the  United  States, 
but  I  won't  show  it  to  you  because  all  of  you  have  heard  about  the 
British  blockade  to  starve  out  the  Germans  in  connection  with 
making  gun  cotton.  According  to  the  newspapers  all  the  British 
ever  had  to  do  was  to  keep  Germany  from  getting  American  cot- 
ton and  after  a  while  they  would  run  out  of  ammunition.  That 
is  all  poppy-cock.  The  Germans  got  busy  with  their  wonderful 
skill  and  appreciation  of  organized  industrial  effort,  and  where 
did  they  go  for  a  substitute  for  cotton?  They  went  to  the  forests, 
the  very  product  we  are  all  interested  in ;  and  cotton  is  now  being 
made  by  the  Germans  out  of  the  spruce  and  pine  of  the  forests 
that  grow  in  the  southern  part  of  Germany.  That  product  is  no 
joke,  not  only  in  making  gun  cotton,  but  also  in  bandaging  the 
wounds  of  the  soldiers. 

Here  is  another  product  which  is  made  in  Norway.  Now, 
unfortunately,  most  of  these  things  are  made  abroad,  and  it  will 
be  exceedingly  difficult  for  us  to  get  any  information  regarding, 
them,  not  only  on  account  of  the  war,  but  because  the  concerns 
that  are  making  these  things  are  keeping  it  just  as  secret  as  they 
can. 

Here  is  a  sack  100  per  cent  wood.  That  bag  is  coming  into 
this  country.  It  is,  I  am  glad  to  say,  an  American  product.  They 
are  shipping  ore  from  Chili  into  this  country  now  in  bags 'made 
out  of  this  material. 

Here  is  a  sack,  a  Norwegian  product,  100  per  cent  wood- 
made  in  Norway.  A  very  strong,  tough,  durable  mesh. 

Here  is  an  American  product — a  coffee  bag,  a  good  deal  like 
that  bag  there,  only  you  notice  it  has  been  washed  or  treated  to 
close  up  the  mesh,  so  that  it  is  absolutely  impervious  to  air,  so 
that  the  aroma  of  the  coffee  will  not  escape.  That  is  all  wood. 

A  Voice :     What  is  the  comparative  cost  ? 

Mr.  Weiss :  It  is  about  the  same,  because  we  don't  lower  the 
price;  don't  have  to. 

Here  is  another  product.  This  is  a  piece  of  linoleum  made 
out  of  wood  fiber  and  boiled  linseed  oil.  .Wood  fiber  is  rolled 
between  steel  plates  and  then  oiled  with  linseed  oil. 

We'  have  here  another  American  product ;  it  is  a  cloth  made 
out  of  maple.  It  is  already  in  use.  Marshall  Field  &  Company 


Wood  a 
Substitute 
for  Cotton 


Rugs  and 
Linoleum 
from  Wood 
Fiber 


84 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Co-Operation 
in  Extending 
the  Uses 
of  Wood 


New  Speci- 
fications for 
Wooden 
Boxes 


told  me  that  they  tested  the  material  before  they  sold  it,  as  they 
want  to  have  confidence  in  their  goods.  They  told  me  it  cost 
about  half  as  much  to  get  a  good  sized  rug  out  of  this  material. 
Long  leaf  pine  will  make  a  wonderful  quality  of  fiber  rug.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

A  Voice:     What  do  you  call  that? 

Mr.  Weiss:     We  call  it  sylome. 

Now,  with  these  in  mind,  I  have  written  down  a  few  sugges- 
tions which  I  am  very  glad  to  offer  you  for  what  they  are  worth ; 
and  I  tried  to  make  these  suggestions  so  that  they  will  reduce  to  a 
minimum  the  expense  of  the  manufacture  of  lumber.  In  the  first 
place  I  believe  that  there  will  be  a  much  closer  and  real  co- 
operation between  the  lumber  manufacturer,  the  lumber  salesmen 
and  various  technical  organizations  throughout  the  United  States. 
We  ought  to  be  on  a  better  working  basis.  I  was  astonished, 
when  I  was  appointed  and  took  charge  of  the  work  at  the  Madison 
plant,  by  the  tremendous  variety  of  the  products  that  can  be 
made  from  wood ;  and  they  are  running  into  new  ones  all  the 
,time.  We  had  several  of  the  gentlemen  from  the  Yellow  Pine 
Association  at  our  place  the  other  day  and  we  fed  them  on 
biscuit  made  of  baking  powder  made  from  pine  from  Australia. 
I  believe  we  need  this  closer  co-operation.  We  have  simply  got 
to  work  in  co-operation  with  industrial  concerns.  I  want  to  call 
your  attention  to  a  few  things  that  our  own  organization  has 
done  to  help  out  the  cause  of  lumber.  As  you  know,  there  has 
been  a  tremendous  dye  shortage  in  this  country,  and  we  discovered 
that  a  little  tree  known  as  the  osage  orange,  which  grows  largely 
in  Oklahoma,  contained  a  yellow  dye,  which  on  test  we  found 
compared  very  favorably  with  the  dye  obtained  from  Mexico.  We 
took  this  up  with  two  of  the  large  extract  houses  in  the  East,  and 
they  are  now  extracting  from  this  wood  $800,000  worth  of  dye. 

We  have  men  at  Atlantic  City  now  working  with  the  Amer- 
ican Society  for  Testing  Materials  and  drafting  new  specifications 
for  wooden  boxes,  to  co-operate  with  the  National  Box  Manu- 
facturing Association.  Now,  here  is  an  interesting  thing  that  has 
been  brought  to  light.  Instead  of  putting  five  nails  on  the  end 
of  the  box,  if  we  put  in  seven  nails — two  more  nails — we  figure 
we  increase  the  strength  of  the  box  300  per  cent — that  little  sim- 
ple innovation.  There  has  been  a  redraft  of  specifications  for 
two  types  of  boxes,  number  three  canned  goods,  and  an  iron- 


SELLINGLUMBER  85 

bound  box,  and  those  are  now  being  considered  by  the  society, 
and  there  will  be  incorporated  in  the  rules  of  the  Interstate  Com- 
merce Commission  these  specifications,  the  idea  being  to  decrease 
this  loss  of  thirty  or  forty  millions  a  year  which  the  railroads 
claim  they  have  to  pay  because  of  the  inadequate  boxing  of 
goods. 

My  second  suggestion,  that  I  would  like  to  see  worked  out, 
is  that  the  manufacturers  of  lumber  ought  to  co-operate  more 
closely  with  the  manufacturers  of  wood  working  machinery.  The 
great  problem  in  trying  to  use  wood  waste  in  the  manufacture  of 
these  mechanical  products  is  that  there  is  too  much  handling. 
You  have  got  to  handle  it  piece  by  piece.  You  have  got  to  get 
away  from  that.  It  has  to  be  done  mechanically.  Three  years  ago 
at  Port  Arthur,  Texas,  cans  were  made  out  of  sheet  tin.  The 
sheet  tin  went  in  as  tin  at  one  end  and  came  out  cans  at  the 
other  end,  labeled.  We  have  got  to  work  out  something  of  that  xooMuch 
kind,  to  work  out  the  utilization  of  wood.  And  I  know  the  wood  Handling 
machinery  concerns  would  be  glad  to  have  much  closer  co-  Manufacture 
operation  from  lumber  men  than  they  are  now  getting,  to  try  to 
perfect  their  machinery.  A  few  days,  ago  I  was  in  a  large  plant 
where  they  had  developed  a  new  type  of  planing  machine.  This 
machine  occupied  much  less  space  in  the  room  and  the  boards 
went  through  in  much  less  time,  and  the  beauty  of  it  is,  they  were 
absolutely  smooth.  There  is  a  tremendous  amount  of  work  to 
be  done  along  that  line,  and  I  believe  if  you  manufacturers  would 
co-operate  more  with  these  wood  working  concerns,  it  would 
increase  the  chances  of  wood  utilization  in  the  manufacture  of 
good  articles. 

A  third  point  that  occurred  to  me  is  that  very  few  salesmen 
know  just  how  boards  are  actually  used  in  these  wood  working 
factories.  The  reason  that  you  don't  is  that  you  haven't  gone 
into  the  wood  working  factories  and  seen  how  the  boards  are 
cut  up  into  various  products.  If  you  have,  you  are  the  exception.  Salesmen 
I  have  found  very  few  salesmen  in  my  experience  who  have  ever  Should  Study 
gone  into  a  wood  working  factory  and  seen  how  the  boards  are 
cut  up,  and  they  can't  believe  that  the  average  length  of  a  board 
in  use  is  about  four  feet — not  twelve  or  sixteen  feet;  but  taking 
the  average,  the  used  length  is  about  four  feet,  as  near  as  we  can 
estimate  it. 


86 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Govern- 
ment's Wood- 
working 
Exchange 


Study  of 

Cost-Keeping 

Systems 


Co-Operation 
the  Keynote 


The  Forest  Service  has  established  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
what  is  called  the  Woodworking  Exchange.  The  idea  is  to  get 
all  of  the  people  who  utilize  waste  on  the  one  hand,  and  all  the 
people  who  have  waste  to  sell  on  the  other  hand,  and  try  to  get 
them  together  to  the  commercial  advantage  of  both.  I  believe 
that  a  similar  activity  on  the  part  of  the  various  lumber  associa- 
tions would  result  in  great  good.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  we 
have  perfected  the  methods  of  manufacturing  lumber,  I  have 
seen  thousands  of  feet  of  lumber  absolutely  destroyed,  due  to  im- 
perfect or  improper  manufacture.  Those  things  can  be  over- 
come by  a  more  careful  manufacturing  of  lumber.  (Applause.) 

Another  point:  A  uniform  cost  keeping  system  is  very 
essential.  We  have  here  an  analysis  of  the  cost  of  manufacturing 
lumber.  I  don't  know  on  what  it  is  based.  But  we  have  gone 
into  some  mills  and  made  what  we  call  analyses.  For  example, 
on  a  band  saw  we  put  a  stop  on  the  thing  and  found  out  how 
long  it  would  take  to  make  lumber  out  of  a  log,  and  then  on 
another  log.  To  make  a  long  story  short,  it  costs  about  one-half 
to  one-third  as  much  to  saw  lumber  from  a  big  log  as  it  does 
a  little  log — I  mean,  actual  milling  cost ;  and  that  is  something 
that  is  seen  throughout  all  woodworking  operations.  The  paper 
fellows  can  make  paper  out  of  logs  four  inches  in  diameter,  and 
you  would  have  the  dickens  of  a  time  sawing  lumber  out  of  that 
stuff ;  and  you  can  make  money  out  of  big  logs.  Now,  if  we  can 
get  the  unit  cost  of  operation  in  these  various  systems  of  opera- 
tion, we  can  utilize  lumber  that  is  now  being  absolutely  lost. 

The  last  suggestion  is  that  you  ought  to  patronize  home  in- 
dustry. Take  the  question  of  the  wooden  bags.  You  ought  to 
encourage  the  use  of  wooden  bags  wherever  you  can.  You  ought 
to  buy  artificial  silk  socks  whenever  you  get  the  chance.  You 
ought  to  use  this  paper  and  string  wherever  you  get  the  chance. 
They  are  good  products ;  they  are  all  genuine  articles.  They  are 
going  to  do  a  whole  lot  for  these  industries  throughout  the  United 
States  that  are  struggling  right  now. 

Now,  gentlemen,  in  conclusion,  you  will  note  that  all  through 
this  paper  the  keynote  of  my  remarks  centers  around  one  word, 
and  that  is  "Co-operation."  I  believe  there  are  enough  organi- 
zations in  existence  and  if  we  can  get  together  and  work  to  a 
common  point,  there  will  result  a  tremendous  gain.  But  we  must 
have  co-operation.  It  is  only  savages  and  barbarians  that  don't 


SELLINGLUMBER,  87 

co-operate,  and  therefore  I  strongly  believe  in  association  activity. 
These  things  are  too  extensive,  and  these  things  are  too  compli- 
cated to  work  out  individually,  each  man  for  himself.  And  I 
would  like  to  see  the  Southern  Pine  Association  continue  to  ex- 
pand, and  to  extend  its  energies  in  co-operation  as  it  has  in  the 
last  few  years,  and  I  believe  we  are  going  to  help  put  lumber 
through  the  difficulties  it  is  going  to  have  in  trying  to  get  on  its 
feet,  and  to  compel  the  public  to  show  a  respect  for  wood,  which 
I  am  sorry  to  say  is  not  in  evidence  at  this  time.  (Applause.) 

The  Chairman :  Gentlemen,  we  have  just  two  more  addresses 
on  the  program  this  morning.  As  I  mentioned  when  we  opened 
this  meeting,  we  are  going  to  endeavor  to  throw  practically  all 
of  the  time  this  afternoon  to  discussion  of  questions.  I  wish  to 
ask  that  you  all  remain  for  the  balance  of  the  program  this  morn- 
ing, because  we  have  one  man  who  is  going  to  handle  a  very 
important  topic,  that  is,  advertising;  and  another,  General  Boyle, 
who.  has  a  message  to  give  you  from  the  legal  department  of 
the  Southern  Pine  Association,  and  also  a  message  to  you  as  a 
salesman.  It  is  my  very  great  pleasure  now  to  introduce  to  you 
Mr.  Hugh  McVey,  business  manager  of  "Successful  Farming." 
Mr.  McVey's  magazine  is  one  of  the  largest  farm  magazines  in 
this  country,  a  magazine  which  has  carried  a  great  deal  of  South- 
ern Pine  advertising,  and  I  can  say  it  has  given  us  very  good 
results.  Mr.  McVey.  (Applause.) 

(Mr.  McVey's  speech  will  be  found  on  page  253). 

The    Chairman :      Gentlemen,,    in    response    to    many    urgent 
telegrams    General   Boyle   has   been   able   to    arrange   his    engage- 
ments so  as  to  be  with  us  today.     I  don't  think  that  I  can  say 
anything  that  would  give  you  any  measureable  idea  of  the  ability 
or  earnestness  of   Mr.  Boyle  or  of  the  importance  of  the  work 
that  he  is  endeavoring  to  do  for  the  yellow  pine  industry.     I  will   Introducing 
simply  introduce  General  Boyle  to  you  as  the  special  counsel  of   Boyle 
the   Southern  Pine  Association,   now   interested   in   matters   being 
laid    before    the    Federal    Trade    Commission.      General    Boyle ! 
(Applause.) 

(Mr.  Boyle's  address  will  be  found  on  page  347). 

The  Chairman:  Please  be  prompt  this  afternoon.  We 
want  to  go  into  the  discussion  very  thoroughly.  We  will  stand 
adjourned  until  2  o'clock. 

At  this  point  at  12  :30  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  school  took  a  recess 
until  2  o'clock  p.  m.  of  the  same  day. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Turpentining 
Does  Not 
Weaken 
Wood 


Creosoted 
Silos  Do 
Not  Injure 
Feed 


The  Life  of 
a  Heart  Pine 
Shingle 


WEDNESDAY,  JUNE  28TH,  1916— AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

At  2  o'clock  p.  m.  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Mr. 
Harry  T.  Kendall,  chairman. 

The  Chairman :  It  is  going  to  be  necessary,  gentlemen,  for 
Dr.  von  Schrenk  and  Mr.  Sterling  to  leave  the  meeting  early 
today  to  fill  some  engagements  they  have.  I  am  going  to  ask 
Dr.  von  Schrenk  to  read  a  few  of  the  questions  he  has,  and 
answer  them.  Mr.  Sterling  has  only  one  question  that  has  been 
referred  to  him.  Now,  in  case  any  other  questions  occur  to  you, 
gentlemen,  that  we  might  properly  ask  either  Dr.  von  Schrenk 
or  Mr.  Sterling,  I  wish  you  would  present  them.  Dr.  von 
Schrenk ! 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  The  question  is  asked :  'Ts  the  strength 
of  pine  lumber  affected,  when  tapped  for  turpentine?" 

The  answer  to  that  is,  that  it  is  not.  Turpentine  or  rosin  in 
a  pine  tree  is  an  excreted  product.  In  other  words,  it  is  a 
product  that  is  formed  by  the  pine  tree  as  a  result  of  the  growth, 
which  the  pine  tree,  so  to  speak,  wants  to  get  rid  of.  It  is 
produced  in  resin  canals,  and  when  the  tapping  operation  takes 
place  the  only  rosin  or  turpentine  which  flows  from  the  tree 
comes  out  of  the  sap  wood.  No  turpentine  ever  forms  from 
heart  wood.  So  the  presence  or  absence  of  turpentine  in  the 
timber  has  no  significance  as  far  as  its  strength  is  concerned. 
That  has  been  demonstrated  very  thoroughly  by  a  great  many 
tests  which  were  made  years  ago  by  the  United  States  Forest 
Service,  and  has  since  that  time  been  substantiated  time  and  again. 

"Does  creosoted  silo  stock  cause  the  ensilage  to  become 
poisonous  and  injurious  to  the  stock?" 

It  does  not.  Practically  all  authorities  on  ensilage  deal 
very  thoroughly  with  that  particular  phase.  A  great  many 
creosoted  silos  have  been  used  in  various  parts  of  the  country 
and  the  cattle  seem  to  take  the  ensilage  right  close  up  to  the 
creosoted  side,  just  as  readily  as  from  the  center  itself. 

"How  long  will  a  heart-sawn  pine  shingle  last?" 

That  depends.  It  will  last  anywhere  from  two  to  forty 
years,  depending  upon  the  conditions  in  which  it  is  placed,  the 
character  of  sawing,  the  amount  of  rainfall  in  a  particular  region. 
It  is  practically  impossible  to  give  that  a  definite  or  specific 
answer.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  I  should  say,  ten  or 
twelve  years  would  be  a  very  fair  estimate;  but  that  should  not 
preclude  its  lasting  very  much  longer,  or  very  much  shorter. 


SELLINGLUMBER  89 

"Is  the  growth  of  a  tree  from  the  outside  alone?  If  so, 
what  turns  the  coarse-grained  sapling  into  a  close-grained  virgin 
tree?" 

The  growth  of  a  tree  is  always  upon  the  outside ;  that  is, 
it  takes  place  between  the  very  inner  portion  of  bark  and  the 
wood.  Now,  the  rate  of  growth  of  practically  all  of  the  pines  is 
determined  by  two  factors :  First,  there  is  a  certain  periodicity, 
which  is  annual;  and  in  the  second  place,  by  soil  conditions,  and 
by  the  two  factors  of  the  amount  of  annual  rainfall  and  the  wind 
velocity.  A  pine  sapling  usually  starts  under  conditions  where 
there  is  plenty  of  light,  the  trees  not  shading  each  other,  and 
where  they  are  not  subject  to  the  wind  stresses.  They  usually 
have  plenty  of  rainfall  and  the  result  is  they  generally  make,  in 
periods  from  seven  to  seventeen  years,  a  rather  rapid  rate  of  The  Tree 
growth.  Then,  almost  invariably,  irrespective  of  moisture  con-  Grows  on 
ditions  or  other  factors,  they  will  start  to  slow  down;  and  par- 
ticularly where  they  grow  close,  with  other  trees  close  to  them, 
they  tend  to  develop  a  crown  high  up  in  the  air;  and  the  result 
is  the  growth  will  slow  down  and  for  the  next  twenty,  thirty  or 
forty  years  or  more  the  growth  per  year  will  be  very  small,  and 
consequently  will  make  very  fine  rings  on  the  tree.  That  is  not 
always  the  case.  The  exceptions  are,  trees  in  an  open  field, 
old  field  pine,  or  rosemary,  which  will  make  very  rapid  growth 
for  forty  or  fifty  years,  due  to  the  fact  that  they  have  no  com- 
petition for  light  and  air. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  a  specification  which  reads,  'All 
timber  used  must  be  long  leaf  yellow  pine  or  Douglas  fir,  con- 
forming to  the  standard  heart  specification'?" 

That  is  a  specification  which  I  recognize  is  found  very  fre- 
quently in  both  architectural  and  engineering  contracts.  If  I 
should  interpret  that  I  would  say  that  the  standard  heart  specifica- 
tion refers  to  the  standard  adopted  by  some  national  technical 
organization.  The  only  two  that  really  have  adopted  any  standard 
heart  specification  are  the  American  Railway  Engineering  Asso-  The  "Standard 
ciation,  and  the  American  Society  for  Testing  Materials,  and  they 
usually  mean  70  to  85  per  cent  heart,  depending  upon  the  class  of 
timber  to  be  used.  In  other  words,  they  will  allow  a  higher 
percentage  of  sap  in  struts  than  they  will  in  stringers  and  caps, 
but  will  even  require  85  to  95  per  cent  heart. 


90 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Creosoted 
Lumber  Less 
Liable  to 
Shrink 


Comparative 
Strength 
of  Fir  and 
Yellow  Pine 


The  Chairman :  Are  there  any  questions  you  wish  to  ask 
the  doctor  before  he  leaves  the  platform? 

Mr.  Christy:  Is  creosoted  lumber  for  silos  less  liable  to 
shrink  or  warp? 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  Yes,  it  is,  on  account  of  the  fact  that 
every  pound  of  creosote  that  is  injected  into  the  timber  increases 
its  water-proofing  power.  A  small  amount  would  increase  it  only 
to  a  certain  extent.  A  larger  amount,  like  fifteen  or  eighteen 
pounds  of  creosote,  would  water-proof  it  very  much  more,  and 
that  of  course  would  reduce  its  tendency  to  warp  or  shrink,  to 
that  extent. 

The  Chairman:  May  I  ask  a  question,  Doctor?  Does  the 
treatment  of  yellow  pine  or  any  other  wood  for  silo  purposes 
injure  the  ensilage? 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  No,  it  does  not.  I  think  I  answered  that 
fully. 

Mr.  Hervey :  What  is  the  comparative  strength  of  fir  and 
long  leaf  yellow  pine? 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  In  general  it  might  be  said  that  grade 
for  grade  it  is  six  of  one,  and  half  a  dozen  to  the  other.  There 
has  been  a  good  deal  of  discussion,  through  misinterpretation  of 
strength  figures  for  yellow  pine  and  Douglas  fir.  Some  yellow 
pine  man  will  start  out  and  say  that  yellow  pine  is  stronger  than 
fir;  and  the  fir  man  comes  back  and  says,  "You  are  another. 
Fir  is  stronger  than  yellow  pine."  Now,  the  safe  course  to  be 
taken — perhaps  I  can  explain  that  in  a  very  few  words — all 
timber  varies  in  strength  according  to  a  well  known  mathematical 
formula.  For  instance,  long  leaf  yellow  pine  might  have  a 
modulus  of  rupture,  one  of  the  strength  factors,  running  from 
seven  to  fourteen  thousand  pounds.  If  you  test  a  sufficiently 
large  number  of  pieces  of  pine  you  will  find  the  strength  all  the 
way  in  between,  but  you  will  find  a  great  majority  of  them  will 
be  somewhere  in  the  middle — ten  or  eleven  thousand  pounds — • 
taking  those  not  as  absolute  figures,  but  simply  as  an  illustration. 
It  will  do  the  same  thing  with  Douglas  fir,  and  you  will  find 
almost  the  same  kind  of  curve,  or  the  same  kind  of  distribution 
of  strength.  Consequently  it  is  easy  enough  for  anybody  to  pick 
up  a  piece  of  yellow  pine  and  say  it  is  very  much  stronger  than  a 
piece  of  Douglas  fir,  arid  vice  versa.  But  if  you  have  the  two 
together,  practically  graded  under  the  new  density  rule,  you  will 


SELLING     LUMBER 


91 


find  you  will  be  perfectly  safe  in  a  statement  that  grade^  for 
grade  the  high  grade  piece  of  yellow  pine  will  be  just  as  strong 
as  the  high  grade  piece  of  Douglas  fir,  and  the  high  grade  piece 
of  Douglas  fir  will  be  just  as  strong  as  the  high  grade  piece 
of  yellow  pine. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  I  would  like  to  know  what  grade  of  Doug- 
las fir  corresponds  to  90  per  cent  heart  long  leaf? 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :     I  don't  think  there  is  any  such  grade. 

Mr.  Woodhead:     No;  I  don't  think  there  is. 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  There  is  no  such  grade  at  all  on  account 
of  the  fact  that  the  rules  under  which  fir  has  been  sold  have 
been  so  different  from  those  of  pine.  The  Douglas  fir  manu- 
facturers will  hold  a  meeting  in  Seattle,  under  the  auspices  of 
our  committee,  a  month  from  now,  and  they  are  now  formulating 
a  set  of  rules  which  will  be  practically  identical  with  those  recently 
adopted  by  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  which  will  very  accu- 
rately define  that  grade. 

Mr.  Woodhead:     They  haven't  any  at  the  present  time? 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :     No,  not  that  I  know  of. 

Mr.  Gray:  What  is  the  average  price  per  thousand  feet  of 
creosoting  lumber? 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  That  will  vary  very  much,  according  to 
the  amount  of  oil  that  is  injected  per  cubic  foot.  The  price  of 
creosoting  is  determined  by  the  method  of  operating  and  the 
amount  of  preservative.  Taking  an  average  standard,  say  fifteen 
pounds  of  creosote  per  cubic  foot,  and  an  average  plant,  you  can 
figure  it  will  cost  from  $13  to  $20  per  thousand,  depending  upon 
the  initial  cost  of  oil.  If  you  use  one  of  the  economical  practices 
it  may  run  down  as  low  as  $8  per  thousand. 

The  Chairman:     Any  other  questions,  gentlemen? 

Mr.  Woodhead:  I  would  like  to  make  a  little  explanation 
in  regard  to  the  standard  heart  specifications.  Several  of  the 
gentlemen  here  have  asked  me  to  speak  in  regard  to  it,  and  I 
want  to  say,  for  the  information  of  those  gentlemen  and  perhaps 
others,  that  in  Texas  and  Louisiana  for  many  years  there  was  a 
standard  specification  of  long  leaf  timber  called  standard  heart, 
and  it  had  a  specific  application  as  to  what  it  was.  It  admitted 
of  an  inch  of  sap  on  two  corners  the  full  length  of  the  piece  or 
an  inch  and  a  half  of  sap  on  one  corner  the  full  length.  That 
was  called  standard  heart  and  was  used  by  those  mills  in  Louis- 


iDouglas  Fir 
to  Have 
Density  Rules 


Cost  of 

Creosoting 

Lumber 


"Standard 
Heart"  in 
the  South 


92 


SELLING     LUMBER 


A  Railway 

"Heart" 

Specification 


Douglas  Fir 
and  Long  Leaf 
Pine  on  an 
Equal  Basis 


'  and  Texas,  oh,  I  suppose,  for  twenty  years,  and  there  are 
many  there  today  that  will  ship  you  timber  on  that  specification 
without  asking  a  question  about  it.  Of  course,  I  understand  that 
under  the  new  rules  and  specifications  we  are  working  under  that 
that  is  now  an  obsolete  specification;  but  that  was  a  standard 
specification  down  there  for  many  years. 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  You  are  entirely  correct  in  that;  and 
so  far  from  being  obsolete,  it  may  be  obsolete  with  the  mills,  but 
it  certainly  is  not  obsolete  with  the  engineering  concerns. 

Mr.  Woodhead :  I  judged  from  your  remarks  it  was,  but  I 
don't  know  of  my  own  knowledge. 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  No.  You  remember,  I  tried  at  least  to 
specifically  except  the  two  rules  made  by  the  American  Railway 
Engineering  Association  and  the  American  Society  for  Testing 
Material.  For  instance,  the  standard  grade  for  the  American 
Railway  Engineering  Society,  I  believe  the  term  is  standard  heart 
grade,  after  specifying  dense  and  sound  pine,  which  of  course 
does  not  relate  to  the  grade,  then  they  have  a  grade,  standard 
heart  grade,  which  means  85  per  cent  heart  and  defines  how  the 
sap  shall  be — the  inches  on  corners ;  or  75  per  cent  for  posts  and 
struts.  The  term  is  actually  in  use  today,  and  more  and  more 
railways  every  day  are  adopting  it. 

The  Chairman:     Any  other  questions,  gentlemen? 

Mr.  Ash :  Now,  on  the  question  of  this  specification  which 
was  read,  where  it  said  long  leaf  yellow  pine  standard  heart; 
where  it  read,  Douglas  fir  or  long  leaf  yellow  pine — I  think  that 
is  the  way  the  question  read:  Now,  then,  would  a  salesman 
understand  that  those  standard  heart  specifications  would  have  to 
apply  to  Douglas  fir?  I  think  that  was  the  object  of  the  ques- 
tion. And  if  they  do,  what  did  the  architect  mean  when  he  wrote 
that? 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  The  reason  why  those  two  woods  have 
probably  been  coupled  together  in  that  standard  heart  grade  is 
that  the  two  technical  bodies  I  spoke  of  made  no  distinction  in 
their  use  for  stringers,  caps,  sills,  struts  and  girders  between  long 
leaf  yellow  pine  and  Douglas  fir,  because  of  the  equality  in 
strength.  They  said,  for  instance,  at  the  head  of  the  specification 
for  stringers,  "May  be  either  long  leaf  pine  or  Douglas  fir,"  and 
then  the  next  paragraph  will  give  two  grades;  one  is  called,  I 
believe,  standard  heart  grade,  and  the  other  is  called  standard 


SELLING     LUMBER 


93 


grade;  but  the  standard  heart  grade  makes  distinct  specification 
as  to  the  heart  and  sap  which  apply  equally  to  Douglas  fir  or 
long  leaf  yellow  pine.  A  man,  in  other  words,  may  furnish  either, 
according  to  the  option  of  the  engineer  who  calls  for  the  requisi- 
tion. 

Mr.  Ash :  Then  there  is  a  standard  grade  covering  Douglas 
fir? 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  There  is  a  standard  grade  covering 
Douglas  fir,  as  far  as  the  engineering  bodies  are  concerned ;  but 
the  Douglas  fir  people  never  accepted  that,  and  that  is  what  is 
creating  a  great  deal  of  discussion  at  the  present  time,  and  caused 
their  recent  action,  because  so  much  of  the  Douglas  fir  was 
being  objected  to  for  that  reason. 

Mr.  Moss:  I  would  like  to  ask  the  Doctor,  what  is  the 
relative  strength  of  long  and  short  leaf  dimension,  and  if  there 
is  any  real  basis  for  the  prejudice  which  'exists  in  some  sections 
of  the  country  against  the  use  of  short  leaf  pine? 

Dr.  von  Schrenk :  Well,  that  is  a  pretty  hard  question  to 
answer,  because  the  two  overlap.  The  chances  are  going  to  be 
that  the  long  leaf  dimension  is  going  to  exceed  in  strength,  when 
you  take  it  as  a  whole,  short  leaf  dimension;  because  the  mere 
fact  that  this  new  designation  does  not  necessarily  change  the 
strength  value  of  the  botanical  species,  as  a  general  rule  it  means, 
cut  from  long  leaf  pine,  whether  it  be  stringers,  or  two-by-fours, 
or  whatever  the  character  of  the  product  may  be.  It  will,  as  an 
average,  be  stronger  than  those  either  of  short  leaf  or  of  loblolly. 

The  Chairman:  Any  other  discussion,  gentlemen?  Mr. 
Sterling  is  here,  and  Mr.  Sterling  has  one  question  which  has 
been  referred  to  him.  He  is  going  to  answer  it,  and  if  any  of  you 
have  any  other  questions  you  would  like  to  put  to  Mr.  Sterling 
while  he  is  on  the  platform  we  would  be  very  glad  to  have  you 
do  so. 

Mr.  Sterling:  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  several  ques- 
tions here,  but  I  am  not  going  to  tackle  them  all. 

"Question :  What  are  the  chief  talking  points  on  wood  when 
in  competition  with" — and  then  there  are  several  kinds  of  material. 

Metal  lath.  I  should  say  that  metal  lath  is  getting  into  a 
competitive  class  where  they  are  not  in  all  cases  very  well  pre- 
pared to  urge  its  merits  in  competition  with  wooden  lath.  The 
greatest  drawback  to  metal  lath  which  I  know  of  personally  is 


Long  Leaf 
and 

Short  Leaf 
Dimension 


The  Talking 
Points  of 
Wood  in 
Competition 
with 
Substitutes 


SELLING     LUMBER 


when  used  on  the  outside  for  structural  purposes  that  it  rusts. 
I  had  occasion  last  winter  to  look  at  a  lot  of  engineering  records 
on  the  use  of  metal  lath  back  of  stucco  or  plaster,  and  they 
found  it  lasts  all  the  way  from  eighteen  months  up  to  nine  years, 
but  in  most  cases  it  failed  from  rust  within  a  very  short  period, 
making  it  impracticable. 

Another  one  on  the  list  here  is  metal  ceiling  and  lining.  It 
seems  to  me  that  there  are  two  or  three  very  good  arguments  for 
wood  in  competition  with  metal  ceiling.  One  is,  there  is  nothing 
uglier  in  the  world  than  this  metal  ceiling.  Another  is  that  even 
for  cheap  and  temporary  construction  you  can  ship  one-inch 
stocks,  if  they  want  character  or  quality  in  a  room. 

Paper  roofing  is  also  on  this  list.  Paper  roofing  is  being 
used  for  some  purposes.  If  you  have  a  shed  with  a  flat  roof 
you  would  probably  put  paper  roofing  on  it.  If  you  had  a  roof 
of  a  house  where  you  wanted  beauty  and  economy  and  non- 
conductivity  of  heat  you  would  put  on  a  shingle  roof.  That  ques- 
tion of  paper  roofing  is  one  which  we  must  decide  according  to 
the  facts  and  the  conditions. 

I  just  want  to  draw  a  couple  of  conclusions  from  this,  if  I 
may? 

The  Chairman :     Certainly. 

Mr.  Sterling:  One  is,  that  on  a  lot  of  questions  of  this 
kind,  I  don't  think  the  lumber  industry  as  a  whole  is  in  very 
good  shape  to  answer,  in  the  same  way  that  our  competitors 
would  answer  them,  because  lumber  has  not  been  considered  a 
material  which  needed  research.  Our  competitors  probably  know 
more  about  our  material  because  they  have  delved  into  it.  Now, 
we  salesmen  have  got  to  delve  into  these  other  questions  and 
know  absolutely  why  a  certain  material  is  better,  or  why  it  is 
not  better.  That  is  all,  I  think. 

The  Chairman :     Any  questions  you  wish  to  ask  ? 

Mr.  Williamson :  As  a  general  rule,  I  would  like  to  know 
Comparative  the  life  of  the  three  kinds  of  lumber  that  is  most  generally  used 
L?fe?f  ky  railroads  in  this  country — fir,  spruce  and  long  leaf  pine  ;  which 

Woods  has  the  longest  life? 

Mr.  Sterling:  That  is  a  matter  of  conditions,  largely.  Under 
conditions  favorable  to  decay,  why  heart  spruce  would  probably 
have  the  longest  life;  but,  as  I  say,  it  is  all  a  matter  of  place 
and  time  and  use. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


95 


The   Chairman :     Any  other  questions,  gentlemen  ? 

Mr.  Lennox:  If  the  speakers  in  answering  those  questions 
will  stand  straight,  instead  of  sideways,  we  could  hear  them  much 
better. 

The  Chairman :  Gentlemen,  we  have  a  very  short  formal 
program  for  this  afternoon,  and  we  will  proceed  with  that  and 
then  the  meeting  will  be  thrown  open  for  general  discussion.  We 
have  a  great  number  of  questions,  we  will  be  glad  to  consider  all 
of  them,  and  we  will  stay  here  all  night,  if  you  will  stay  with  us. 
I  want  to  introduce  to  you  a  man  who  is  only  85  per  cent  efficient. 
He  has  got  a  very  lengthy  paper,  but  after  discovering  he  was 
only  85  per  cent  efficient,  the  committee  persuaded  him  to  have  the 
speech  put  in  the  printed  record  and  to  give  you  a  short  talk  on 
his  subject,  I  am  glad  to  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Ben  S.  Wood- 
head,  our  very  amiable  subject  of  yesterday  afternoon.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

(Mr.  Woodhead's  paper  in  full  will  be  found  on  page  262). 

The  Chairman :  We  feel  exceedingly  complimented  in  being 
able  to  place  the  next  speaker  on  the  program.  I  believe  that  it 
is  entirely  unnecessary  for  me  to  attempt  to  introduce  him.  He  is 
one  of  the  outstanding  figures  in  the  lumber  world,  and  he  enjoys 
a  reputation  not  common  among  lumber  men — a  national  reputa- 
tion outside  of  the  lumber  industry.  I  am  very  glad  to  introduce 
you  to  Capt.  J.  B.  White,  president  of  the  Missouri  Lumber  and 
Land  Exchange,  of  Kansas  City.  (Applause.) 

(Captain  White's  speech  in  full  will  be  found  on  page  340). 

The  Chairman:  Gentlemen,  the  meeting  will  now  be  opened 
to  the  discussion  of  questions  of  new  business  that  may  be  pre- 
sented to  the  meeting.  And  as  we  have  so  many  questions,  some- 
thing over  140  or  150,  some  of  which  no  one  in  the  audience  or 
on  the  committee  would  attempt  to  answer  on  short  notice,  I  am 
going  to  throw  the  meeting  open  and  let  the  questions  be  asked 
and  discussed  generally — Mr.  Snell,  have  you  something  that  you 
wish  to  bring  up? 

Mr.  Snell:  Gentlemen:  Something  which  I  desire  to  bring 
before  this  meeting  today  is  a  subject  which  has  already  been 
inserted  into  the  meeting  twice — once  this  morning  by  General 
Boyle,  and  this  afternoon  by  Captain  White.  This  is  the  subject 
of  the  transit  car  movement.  Now,  the  transportation  committee 


Introducing 
Capt.  J.  B. 
White 


The  General 

Discussion 

Begins 


96  SELLINGLUMBER 

of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  has  this  matter  in  hand,  and  is 
discussing  it  and  is  looking  for  light.  From  the  expressions  that 
I  have  heard  here  this  morning,  I  would  naturally  conclude  that 
all  of  the  people  here  have  decided  that  there  was  only  one  side  to 
.  this  question.  But  there  are  more  sides.  Before  I  came  here 
Car  Shipments  today  I  had  analyzed  the  question  into  four  sides.  There  is  the 
manufacturer's  side,  there  is  the  consumer's  side,  there  is  the 
carrier's  side,  and  there  is  the  wholesaler's  side — that  is  four.  But 
since  I  have  come  here  today,  I  have  decided  that  there  is  a  fifth 
side,  and  that  is  the  salesman's  side. 

Now,  the  object  of  Vie  Southern  Pine  Association,  its  em- 
blem and  its  motto  is  Service.  Service  does  not  mean  good  for 
me,  or  good  for  you,  but  it  means  the  greatest  good  to  the  greatest 
number,  all  over  this  country  of  ours. 

Now,  this  question  of  the  shipment  of  lumber  primarily  for 
reconsignment,  that  is  the  shipping  of  lumber  before  it  is  sold, 
is  the  question.  The  transportation  committee,  some  of  them,  a 
short  time  ago,  were  of  the  opinion  that  it  was  a  subject  that 
couldn't  be  touched  by  the  Association,  but  I  think  they  have  seen 
the  light,  and  I  believe  the  transportation  committee  at  this  time  is 
unanimously  of  the  opinion  that  it  would  be  beneficial  to  the  lumber 
interests  of  this  country  to  do  away  with  the  transit  car  shipment. 
And  it  is  the  intention  of  the  Association  to  take  up  this  question, 
and  when  it  is  decided  that  it  is  for  the  greatest  good  of  the 
greatest  number  of  people  in  the  nation,  that  we  won't  have  any 
more  of  this  transit  car  proposition.  Then  the  Association  will 
make  itself  its  brother's  keeper,  and  we  are  going  to  look  after 
the  members  of  the  Association  who,  Captain  White  says,  put  this 
lumber  in  transit.  And  I  would  like  to  hear  a  discussion  upon  it 
simply  to  get  light  on  it.  I  would  like  to  find  out  how  the  salesmen 
here  who  meet  the  trade,  think  of  it  and  hear  them  tell  what  effect 
it  has  upon  their  business ;  and  what  the  general  consumer  or  buyer 
of  lumber  thinks  of  the  transit  car  proposition. 

The  Chairman:  Gentlemen,  you  have  heard  the  statement  of 
Mr.  Snell.  I  would  be  glad  to  have  any  of  you  discuss  it.  (Pauses 
for  several  moments.)  From  the  energetic  applause  we  heard  this 
morning  and  again  this  afternoon  I  thought  that  subject  was  very 
near  your  hearts — Mr.  Heyl. 

Mr.  Heyl :  I  was  in  Towa  about  a  month  ago  and  a  lumber 
dealer  in  that  town  had  asked  me  for  a  price  on  some  stuff  which  he 


SELLING     LUMBER 


97 


wanted;  and  he  said,  "Well,  I  have  not  opened  up  my  mail  yet.  I 
have  got  a  lot  of  transit  cars  there.  Let's  open  it  up  and  see  what 
those  fellows  have  done."  He  opened  his  mail  and  in  that  morn- 
ing's mail  there  were  469  transit  cars,  most  of  them  B  stock.  But 
there  was  enough  to  stock  a  dozen  lumber  yards ;  and  there  were 
five  concerns  listing  469  cars,  and  all  of  them  at  prices  anywhere 
from  two  dollars  to  three  dollars  less  than  I  had  on  my  list.  I 
didn't  sell  him  the  B  stock. 

A  Voice :     Who  were  the  shippers  ? 

Mr.  Heyl :    Who  were  the  shippers  ?    Do  you  want  to  know  ? 

The  Chairman :    No,  I  think  not. 

A  Voice  :    Let's  have  it.    Come  on ! 

The  Chairman :  No.  We  will  discuss  this  proposition  only 
from  a  general  standpoint. 

Mr.  Houston :  I  believe  that  it  is  the  opinion  of  98  per  cent  of 
the  retailers  that  it  hurts  their  business  as  much  as  it  does  the  whole- 
saler— that  is,  the  manufacturer ;  and  that  they  would  like  to  see 
the  transit  shipments  done  away  with  equally  as  well  as  the  manu- 
facturer. As  far  as  the  effect  is  concerned,  there  is  no  question 
but  that  the  transit  shipment  puts  the  legitimate  salesman  out  of 
business  (Applause). 

Mr.  Marshall :  Mr.  Chairman,  I  believe  that  this  transit  car 
business  has  always  been  a  source  of  one  of  the  greatest  annoyances 
that  the  salesman  has  met;  but  it  has  been  worse  in  the  last  six 
months  than  we  have  ever  encountered  before,  and  seemingly 
partly  due  to  the  avarice  of  the  manufacturer.  Last  fall  we  knew 
that  the  advances  were  natural  and  normal,  but  when  prices  were 
continued  to  be  advanced  after  the  natural  causes  were  removed, 
then  it  was  that  the  dealer  turned  to  something  that  they  could  buy 
cheaper  than  trie  prices  that  we  were  asking  for  the  lumber.  They 
evidently  weren't  able  to  keep  the  pace,  and  they  turned  to  these 
lower  priced  cars  and  the  result  was,  a  great  many  more  cars  were 
placed  in  transit.  As  far  as  the  attitude  of  the  customer  is  con- 
cerned, a  great  many  of  them  are  glad  to  do  it,  they  think  that  the 
stock  is  about  as  good  as  anybody  else's  stock,  and  that  difference  of 
two  or  three  dollars,  when  the  stock  is  such  that  they  could  use,  has 
been  a  very  strong  influence  with  the  everyday  buyer  of  lumber. 

Mr.  Lacy :  There  is  a  very  prominent  retail  dealer  here  in 
this  audience.  We  would  like  to  hear  what  he  has  to  say. 


One  Day's 
List  of  Tran- 
sit Cars 


A  Majority 
of  Dealers 
Against  Tran- 
sit Shipments 


98 


SELLING     LUMBER 


A  Question 
for  the 
Commission 


The  Cost 
of  Resawing 
Lumber 


Mr.  Nelson :  I  think  we  are  wasting  our  breath  over  this  mat- 
ter, because  it  is  a  matter  for  the  commission  to  answer,  and  it 
doesn't  make  any  difference  what  we  say  here ;  it  doesn't  make  any 
difference  to  the  commission. 

The  Chairman :  You  understand  the  reason  it  was  brought 
up?  Mr.  Snell  wanted  to  know  what  the  salesmen  thought  of  the 
proposition. 

Mr.  Nelson:  I  think  the  noise  they  made  this  morning  is 
sufficient  to  show  how  they  feel  about  it.  (Laughter.) 

Mr.  Seidel:  I  want  to  say,  from  the  standpoint  of  a  retailer 
in  a  big  city,  that  I  know  you  can't  make  any  money  out  of  transit 
cars.  The  men  that  sell  in  St.  Louis  and  sell  to  me  know  that  I 
have  always  been  against  the  buying  of  transit  cars.  I  like  to  get 
what  I  buy,  and  I  buy  in  time  enough  to  get  the  stuff  from  the  mill. 
There  are  times  like  there  were  last  fall  when  you  get  caught  up 
occasionally  and  need  some  cars,  and  then  I  buy  under  protest.  I 
want  to  say  that  the  thing  that  Captain  White  brought  out,  if  you  can 
control  that,  you  would  never  have  to  worry  about  your  transit  cars. 
Ordinarily  speaking,  I  would  say  I  can't  make  any  money  on  transit 
car  shipment.  We  have  our  troubles  in  cutting,  even  from  the  best 
of  the  concerns  which  are  in  thorough  organization.  We  have  re- 
jections out  of  those  cars,  in  spite  of  all  we  can  do;  and  really  I 
don't  like  to  have  a  mill  invest  our  surplus  account  or  our  treasury 
account  in  stuff  they  ship,  instead  of  letting  me  decide  that  question. 
I  put  my  money  in  stuff  that  I  want.  For  that  reason  I  can't  use 
any  transit  cars,  and  our  company  buys  very  few.  I  don't  think 
that  we  buy  ten  transit  cars  in  a  year  (applause). 

Mr.  Willhite :  I  think,  in  protection  to  the  salesman,  when  the 
operators  get  their  stock  in  such  shape  that  they  can  give  immediate 
service  to  the  salesmen  it  will  be  one  of  the  most  vital  points  against 
the  transit  car  that  can  be  made. 

The  Chairman :  Gentlemen,  is  there  any  other  discussion  ?  I 
think  Mr.  Weiss  is  still  in  the  audience ;  if  any  of  you  have  any 
questions  you  desire  to  ask  him  about  the  paper  he  read  this  morn- 
ing or  the  line  of  thought  he  brought  out,  I  am  sure  he  would  be 
glad  to  answer  you — gentlemen,  here  is  a  question  to  start  you  on : 
"What  does  it  cost  to  re-saw  lumber?" 

Mr.  Boykin  :  It  costs  forty-six  cents  to  re-saw ;  forty-six  cents 
per  thousand  feet. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


99 


The  Chairman :  That  figure  includes  only  the  mechanical 
operation  ? 

Mr.  Boykin:  That  just  includes  the  mechanical  operation.  I 
cover  so  many  subjects  in  my  paper  here  you  will  have  to  give  me 
time  to  look  over  this  paper  (examining  the  paper).  The  cost  of 
re-sawing  is  thirty-seven  cents.  The  re-sawing  of  any  grade  of 
lumber,  with  the  exception  of  B  and  better,  unless  the  stock  is  well 
manufactured  degrades  the  material ;  and  that  is  especially  so  for 
number  2  and  number  3  re-saw.  Furthermore,  you  encourage  the 
accumulation  of  waste,  which  will  amount  to  at  least  25%. 

The  Chairman  :  Is  Mr.  Jones  in  the  audience — Chief  Inspector 
Jones  ? 

A  Voice :     Yes. 

The  Chairman :  There  are  some  questions  here  that  have  been 
referred  to  you.  If  you  will  come  up,  we  will  be  glad  to  give  them 
to  you.  Here  is  a  question  I  would  like  Mr.  Nelson  to  answer : 
"Why  is  flooring  standard  matched  ?" 

Mr.  Nelson :  It  is  standard  matched  by  request  of  the  con- 
sumer. The  fact  that  lumber  expands  and  contracts  to  the  extent 
of  iroisture  that  is  absorbed  in  it  causes — it  is  not  uniform.  It  may 
shrink  more  on  one  face  than  on  the  other;  and  if  it  is  matched 
square  jointed,  it  is  liable  to  swell  more  on  the  back  side  of  the 
flooring,  so  that  when  you  lay  it  and  try  to  match  it  up  it  leaves 
an  opening  on  the  face  side ;  but  if  it  is  cut  bevelled  it  enables  the 
carpenter  to  lay  it  up  close ;  no  matter  how  much  it  should  expand 
on  the  back  side. 

The  Chairman  :  Mr.  Jones,  the  chief  inspector  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, was  to  read  a  paper  on  the  density  rule  he  has  prepared. 
It  is  a  very  elaborate  paper  and  will  be  printed  in  the  record.  Un- 
fortunately, we  are  pressed  so  much  for  time  we  won't  have  an 
opportunity  of  hearing  that  paper.  But  if  any  of  you  want  to  ask 
him  any  questions  on  the  density  rule  or  on  the  grading  rules  as 
they  now  stand,  he  will  be  very  glad  to  answer  them. 

(Mr.  Jones's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  334). 

Mr.  Landon :  In  case  of  a  piece  of  dimension  say  sixteen  feet 
long,  that  has  a  defect  towards  the  end,  would  that  be  remedied  by 
cutting  off  two  feet? 

Mr.  Jones  :     You  mean,  in  case  of  an  inspection  ? 

Mr.  Landon :     Yes. 


Why  Flooring 
Is  Standard 
Matched 


100 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Inspectors 
Handle  Stock 
as  They 
Find  It 


Difference  in 
Value  of 
Partition  and 
Flooring 


Grooved 
Roofing 
Worth  More 
Than  Shiplap 


Mr.  Jones:  In  case  of  inspection  for  the  adjustment  of  a 
claim,  the  inspector  is  required  to  handle  the  stock  just  as  he  finds 
it.  He  has  no  authority  whatever  to  deduct,  or  cut  back  and  raise 
the  grade.  That  is  a  penalty  that  is  attached  to  the  mill  for  shipping 
lumber  that  is  not  properly  manufactured — now,  while  I  am  here 
I  will  answer  these  other  questions.  One  question  is,  "What  is  the 
most  serious  objections  to  kiln-drying  number  2  common?"  My 
experience  has  been  that  in  kiln-drying  number  2  common  it  will 
degrade  say  40%  on  account  of  shakes  that  open  up  and  knots  that 
fall  out.  There  are  knots  that  will  retain  their  place  in  the  piece  for 
all  practical  purposes  if  it  is  air-dried,  but  if  it  is  kiln-dried  they 
fall  out  and  reduce  the  grade  to  a  number  3  or  number  4  common 
as  the  case  may  be. 

The  next  question  is,  "Why  is  B  and  better  partition  worth  at 
least  two  dollars  per  thousand  more  than  flooring?"  In  manufac- 
turing flooring  they  only  grade  one  side.  They  may  center  match 
it,  or  they  may  standard  match  it,  but  they  grade  only  one  side. 
The  reverse  side  may  be  two  or  three  grades  lower,  in  fact,  as 
they  don't  pay  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  the  reverse  side  of  floor- 
ing; but  in  manufacturing  partition  the  reverse  side  must  not  be 
more  than  one  grade  lower.  For  that  reason  B  and  better  parti- 
tion is  worth  at  least  two  dollars  more  than  flooring. 

"Why  is  grooved  roofing  worth  more  than  shiplap  at  the  mill?" 
It  is  a  better  grade  than  shiplap'.  It  doesn't  allow  any  splits ;  it 
doesn't  allow  any  pith  knots  or  worm  holes.  It  is  practically  a 
water-tight  board,  which  a  number  1  common  board  or  shiplap  is 
not.  Number  1  shiplap  will  admit  pith  knots  or  it  will  admit  a  split 
equal  in  length  to  the  width  of  the  piece  at  any  point  in  the  piece. 
It  will  admit  seasoning  checks  that  go  through  or  show  an  opening 
through,  and  grooved  roofing  will  not. 

The  Chairman :  Are  there  any  other  questions  you  would  like 
to  ask  Mr.  Jones,  either  on  the  density  rule  or  any  other  feature  of 
the  grading  rules,  or  the  inspection  work  of  the  Association,  or  any- 
thing of  that  character? 

Mr.  Austin :  What  percentage  of  shipment  of  a  mill  working 
strictly  long  leaf  or  cutting  strictly  long  leaf  will  comply  with  the 
density  rule? 

Mr.  Jones:  Well,  that  is  a  question  that  has  never  been  fig- 
ured out.  11-^t  I  know  of;  but  just  miking  a  rough  estimate  of  it  I 


SELLINGLUMBER  10i 

would  say  that  the  average  long  leaf  timber,  at  least  90%   of  it 

would  comply  with  the  density  rule.     That  may  be  over-estimating     • 

it,  but  I  hardly  think  so.     There  may  be  some  sections  of  long  leaf     Timber  and 

yellow  pine  timber  where  no  more  than  50%  of  it  would  meet  the     j^le  ensity 

requirements  of  the  density  rule ;  but  I  think,  taking  it  as  a  whole, 

that  at  least  90%  of  it  will  entirely  meet  the  requirements  of  the 

density  rule. 

The  Chairman  :     Any  other  questions,  gentlemen  ? 

Mr.  Franke:  The  grading  rules  say  that  B  and  better  finish 
will  admit  of  slight  or  minor  seasoning  checks.  What  is  meant  by 
slight  or  minor  ? 

Mr.  Jones  :     Small  checks. 

Mr.  Franke:     How  small? 

Mr.  Jones :     Seasoning  checks  going  through  the  board  are  not 
admitted  in  B  and  better  finish.     Now,  on  the  question  of  small 
seasoning  checks,  or  the  size  of  the  seasoning  check,  it  is  generally    The  Meaning 
understood  among  the  inspection  force  that  seasoning  checks  that    gga^|^' 
have  very  little,  if  any,  openings  and  are  eight  to  ten  inches  long,  are    Checks 
considered  small  seasoning  checks  provided  there  are  not  too  many 
of  them. 

The  number  of  seasoning  checks  in  connection  with  the  other 
defects  would  have  to  govern  in  those  cases. 

Mr.  Franke:  In  case  it  does,  go  through,  how  many  grades 
will  it  be  reduced  ? 

Mr.  Jones :  Seasoning  checks  that  are  known  to  go  through 
will  not  be  admitted  in  a  grade  higher  than  number  1  common 
board.  You  may  see  a  seasoning  check  on  both  sides  of  the  piece, 
and  it  be  not  too  serious  to  be  admitted  in  a  C  finish,  yet  we  would 
not  be  positive  in  our  statement  that  the  seasoning  check  went 
through,  because  the  condition  that  caused  it  to  check  on  one  side 
would  likely  cause  it  to  check  on  the  opposite  side  as  well.  There- 
fore, unless  it  is  known  to  be  through,  or  shows  some  opening 
through  the  board,  we.  can't  say  that  it  is  a  through  seasoning  check. 
If  it  is  a  through  seasoning  check  it  goes  no  higher  than  a  number 
1  common  board. 

Mr.  Brooks:     I  want  to  know,  in  the  matter  of  grading  lum-   Grading 
ber,  dimension  No.  1  and  No.  2,  I  want  to  know  how  crooked  it  can 
be  for  No.  1,  and  how  crooked  can  it  be  for  No.  2  to  pass,  under 
the  rules? 


102  SELLING     LUMBER 


Mr.  Jones :  That  is  a  question  that  cannot  be  answered  in  the 
abstract.  It  has  never  been  possible  to  specify  just  the  amount  of 
crook  that  would  be  admitted  in  No.  1  common  dimension,  and  yet 
be  fair  to  the  retailer  and  to  the  manufacturer  as  well,  for  if  the 
rules  were  so  worded  that  they  would  admit,  we  will  say  for  illus- 
tration, of  a  one  and  a  half  inch  crook  in  a  2  x  4  16.  Then  I  could 
put  in  a  one  and  a  half  inch  crook  in  a  2  x  4  16  if  it  had  a  knot  one- 
half  the  c'ross  section  of  the  piece  at  the  apex  of  the  crook ;  but  no 
practical  inspector  would  do  it,  because  it  would  be  impossible  to 
straighten  that  piece  without  breaking  it.  If  the  rules  specified  an 
inch  crook  would  be  allowed,  and  no  more,  then  if  I  found  a  piece 
with  an  inch  and  a  quarter  crook  and  it  be  absolutely  clear,  I 
couldn't  put  it  in  No.  1  common  and  grade  it  according  to  the  rule. 

Mr.  Brooks:     Well,  where  it  twists? 

Mr.  Jones:     Where  it  twists  over? 

Mr.  Brooks :     Yes. 

Mr.  Jones :  Well,  that  is  another  thing  that  would  have  to  be 
determined  upon  an  examination  of  the  piece.  It  is  not  the  inten- 
tion of  the  grading  committee  or  the  grading  rules  of  the  Southern 
Pine  Association  to  advocate  putting  in  dimension  pieces  that  are 
o? Twists  so  crooked  that  they  cannot  be  used  with  a  reasonable  exertion,  and 
the  inspectors  along  the  line  have  instructions  to  that  effect,  and 
they  are  also  instructing  the  graders  at  the  mill  that  way,  not  to 
allow  any  crooks  in  No.  1  or  even  No.  2  dimension  that  cannot  be 
used  with  reasonable  exertion,  I  don't  think  it  would  be  practicable 
to  undertake  to  specify  the  amount  of  crook  that  would  be  allowed 
in  any  grade,  because  it  is  a  question  that  would  have  to  be  deter- 
mined by  the  defects  that  are  in  the  piece — the  texture  of  the  wood 
and  the  length  of  the  piece. 

Flooring0*^  Mr-  Miller:     In  the  matter  of  mismatched  flooring,  in  the  set- 

tlement of  a  complaint,  regardless  of  the  amount,  what  grade  should 
that  be  reduced  ? 

Mr.  Jones :  That  is  another  question  that  is  hard  to  answer 
in  the  abstract.  There  are  several  stages"  of  mismatch.  The  fact 
of  the  matter  is  that  if  lumber  is  not  perfectly  matched,  it  is  mis- 
matched; but  slight  defects  in  manufacture  that  don't  prevent  its 
use  without  waste  would  be  admitted  in  a  C  grade.  Stock  that  is 
a  little  worse  mismatched  would  be  admitted  in  a  D  grade.  But  it 
could  be  so  badly  mismatched  that  it  would  not  be  allowed  in  even  a 


SELLINGLUMBER  103 

number  2  common,  because  it  could  not  even  be  used  on  flooring. 
So  that  is  a  question  that  the  amount  of  mismatch  would  have  to 
govern. 

Mr.  Miller :  Isn't  the  matching  of  No.  2  and  common  flooring 
supposed  to  be  as  good  as  B  and  better  ? 

Mr.  Jones :  Well,  it  is  supposed  to  be  matched  in  the  same 
operation ;  yet  defects  of  manufacture  are  admitted  in  a  higher 
grade,  so  why  shouldn't  they  be  allowed  in  a  lower  grade? 

Mr.  Miller:     If  you  have  a  mismatched  lot  of  No.  2,  common    Pitch  in 
flooring.,  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  it? 

Mr.  Jones :  Well,  if  it  is  a  No.  2  common  to  start  with  and 
badly  mismatched,  then  it  is  not  No.  2;  it  is  not  good  enough  for 
No.  2. 

Mr.  Lacy :  What  is  the  maximum  amount  of  pitch  allowed  in 
C  finish,  provided  it  has  no  other  defect  except  pitch? 

Mr.  Jones :  In  what  width  ?  Do  you  refer  to  any  special 
width  ? 

Mr.  Lacy:     Well,  take  twelve  inch. 

Mr.  Jones  :     Twelve  inch  ? 

Mr.  Lacy:     Percentage  basis  is  what  I  mean. 

Mr.  Jones :  Oh,  a  percentage  basis.  Well,  one  standard  pitch 
streak  is  11-1/9  per  cent  of  the  face  of  the  board;  so  in  a  twelve- 
inch  board,  that  would  be  33  1/3  per  cent  of  the  face  of  the  board, 
provided  it  is  in  streaks.  Now,  that  doesn't  mean  solid  pitch,  but 
standard  pitch  streaks  to  the  amount  of  33  1/3  per  cent  of  the  face 
of  the  board. 

Mr.  Lennox :  For  what  purpose  can  you  use  mismatched 
flooring? 

Mr.  Jones :  Well,  it  can  be  used  for  ordinary  flooring.  I 
have  never  seen  flooring  laid  yet  that  was  absolutely  smooth,  unless 
it  was  gone  over  with  a  floor  scraper  after  it  was  put  down.  Lots 
of  times  the  carpenter  is  not  up  to  his  business  himself,  and  doesn't  A  Use  for 

put  it  down  properly,  even  if  it  is  properly  matched.     So,  No.   1    Mis-Matched 

,,        .  j    Flooring 

common,  for  instance,  that  is  not  the  highest  grade  flooring,  and 

therefore  it  could  be  slightly  mismatched  and  still  be  as  good  as  No. 
1  common  flooring,  as  it  would  be  with  the  defects  admissible  in 
No.  1. 

Mr.  Lennox :     Take  B  and  better  flooring,  that  cannot  be  laid? 


.104  SELLING     LUMBER 

Mr.  Jones :  Well,  it  would  not  go  in  B  and  better  if  it  is  not 
properly  matched. 

Mr.  Lennox :     What  is  the  retailer  to  do  ? 

Mr.  Jones :  He  could  only  use  it  for  cheaper  flooring — a 
cheaper  grade. 

Mr.  Austin :  WThat  percentage  of  wane  is  permissible  on  the 
reverse  side  of  B  and  better  car  siding?  By  what  rule  do  they  in- 
Wane  on  spect  wane  on  car  siding  ?  What  rule  governs  the  inspection  of 
Car  Siding  ^yo  2  car  siding  developed  from  running  No.  1  car  siding? 

Mr.  Jones :  There  is  not  supposed  to  be  any  wane,  according 
to  the  specifications,  on  the  reverse  side  of  B  and  better  car  siding. 
However,  practical  grading  would  allow  a  small  amount  of  wane 
that  would  not  affect  the  use  of  the  stock.  We  have  sections  in 
the  grading  rules  which  really  authorize  us  to  do  that.  The  varia- 
tion from  any  given  rules  are  numerous  and  suggested  by  practical 
common  sense.  Now,  as  to  the  basis  on  which  No.  2  common  car 
siding  would  be  graded,  we  have  nothing  in  any  grading  rules  gov- 
erning No.  2  car  siding.  We  have  had  several  requests  for  inspec- 
tion, and  we  have  had  to  refuse  to  inspect  them  until  the  purchaser 
and  the  shipper  might  come  to  some  decision  between  themselves 
as  to  a  basis  on  which  they  would  be  willing  to  have  the  inspection 
made. 

Mr.  Austin:  What  basis  would  you  suggest  then,  Mr.  Jones, 
to  arrive  at?  Simply  sell  a  man  No.  2  car  siding,  which  is  just  as 
standard  an  item  today  as  No.  2  fencing  or  No.  2  flooring — what 
basis  would  you  suggest  ? 

Mr.  Jones :  My  suggestion  would  be  that  the  inspection  should 
be  made  on  the  basis  of  No.  2  common  fencing.  Now,  if  you  ask 

me  why  I  say  that,  I  will  say  this :     If  you  will  notice  the  specifica- 
A  Basis  for     •         /     AT      ,  ... 

Inspecting    tions  for  No.  1  common  car  siding,  it  is  identical  with  the  specifica- 

Car  Siding  tions  for  No.  1  common  fencing,  so  that  the  droppings  from  that 
should  not  be  any  poorer  than  the  droppings  would  be  from  running 
No.  1  common  fencing,  and  should  be  graded  on  the  basis  of  number 
2  common  fencing. 

Mr.  Austin:  The  same  would  apply  to  car  lining  as  car 
siding? 

Mr.  Jones :  Car  lining  and  roofing  is  all  the  same ;  applies  the 
same  way. 

Mr.  Brooks :  What  is  the  rule  about  B  and  better  finish  that 
is  shipped,  which  has  evidently  become  cupped  after  it  has  been 


SELLING     LUMBER  105 


dressed  and  reaches  the  customer,  and  he  complains  about  it,  and 
your  Association  inspector  is  put  upon  that? 

Mr.  Jones:  There  is  no  fixed  rule  regarding  that.  It  is  a 
question  of  judgment  as  to  the  amount  of  cup  and  whether  it  can 
be  straightened  out  in  using,  or  not.  If  it  cannot  be  straightened 
out  it  would  be  lower  in  grade. 

Mr.  Brooks.     Suppose  he  undertakes  to  straighten  those  pieces   Cupped  B 

back  in  a  great  many  instances  it  would  result  in  a  crack  ?  and  Better 

Finish 
Mr.  Jones  :     Yes  ;  if  it  is  cupped  sufficiently  it  would  split  in 

undertaking  to  spring  it  back. 

Mr.  Brooks  :     It  is  just  a  question  of  judgment? 

Mr.  Jones  :  It  is  just  a  question  of  judgment  and  the  amount 
of  the  cup. 

Mr.  Spencer:  How  much  wane,  if  any,  is  permissible  on  the 
face  side  of  No.  1  common  car  siding? 

Mr.  Jones  :  According  to  the  rules  there  is  a  good  deal  more 
admissible  than  is  allowed  by  the  inspector  (laughter).  As  a  rule, 
we  use  our  common  sense  and  ignore  the  rules.  I  don't  believe  there 
is  a  mill  that  could  ship  car  siding  according  to  the  specifications  in  C  °* 

effect  for  car  siding  and  get  away  with  it.  Therefore  the  inspector 
ignores  that  portion  of  it  and  generally  will  grant  a  small  amount 
of  wane  on  the  face  side  of  car  siding. 

Mr.  Van  Landingham:  On  six-inch  No.  2  center  match,  how 
much  stock  would  you  allow  permitting  of  25  per  cent  waste  ? 

Mr.  Jones  :  We  will  grade  it  on  the  basis  of  No.  2  common 
flooring  and  allow  stock  that  could  be  used  for  a  cheap  floor  by  wast- 
ing not  more  than  25  per  cent  of  the  length  of  each  piece. 

Mr.  Van  Landingham  :  Do  you  know  of  any  mills  that  figure 
it  that  way  ? 

Mr.  Jones  :     Yes,  I  know  of  a  few. 

Mr.  Miller:  I  would  like  to  ask  —  the  matter  of  working  11/16 
No.  2  boards,  34  inch,  or  11/16,  as  to  whether  or  not  the  same 
grading  applies  to  that  thickness  as  applies  to  13/16? 

Mr.  Jones  :     You  mean,  orders  for  boards  worked  34  inch  ? 

Mr.  Miller  :    Orders  for  boards  worked  34  inch. 

Mr.  Jones  :  The  same  specifications  would  apply  as  if  it  were 
ordered  13/16.  The  manner  of  'working  is  a  matter  of  preference 
to  the  customer.  Therefore  he  can't  expect  any  different  grading. 


106 


SELLING     LUMBER 


When  Mill 
and  Dealer 
Disagreed 


The  Salesman 
Was  the 
"Goat" 


Mr.  Miller 
little? 

Mr.  Jones : 
Mr.  Miller 
Mr.  Jones : 


As  a  matter  of  fact,  doesn't  it  lower  the  grade  a 


To  work  it  to  ^  ? 
Yes,  sir. 
In  my  judgment,  yes,  sir. 

Mr.  McDonald :  An  order  comes  for  a  car  of  6-inch  No.  2, 
dressed  two  sides.  The  mill,  under  the  grading  rules,  can  dress 
that  to  standard  width ;  they  can  dress  it  to  size.  But  the  customer 
rejects,  out  of  the  22,000  feet,  two  thousand  feet.  My  order  called 
for  1x6,  No.  2  dressed  two  sides.  The  customer  accepted  20,000 
feet;  there  are  two  thousand  feet  of  rejects.  The  customer  says 
that  order  calls  for  1x6  No.  2  dressed  two  sides.  Suppose  it  is 
rough  ?  The  mill  stood  firm,  and  the  customer  stood  firm.  Would 
you  suggest  how  to  adjust  that  complaint? 

Mr.  Jones:  If  the  mill  dressed  three  sides  to  the  standard, 
he  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  purchaser.  The  Association  and  the 
grading  rules  do  not  authorize  him  to  dress  three  sides  standard. 
He  can  only  dress  it  to  one-eighth  inch  scant  of  full  whole  width. 
1x6  dressed  two  sides  and  one  edge  to  13/16  x  5  % — that  is  what 
he  did? 

Mr.  McDonald :     That  is  what  he  did ;  yes,  sir. 

Mr.  Jones :  Well,  in  that  case  he  was  within  his  rights.  If 
your  customer  bought  it  according  to  the  Southern  Pine  Associa- 
tion standard,  the  mill  is  authorized  to  dress  it  */£  inch  scant  of  its 
full  width. 

Mr.  McDonald:  He  did  that;  and  the  customer  said,  "My 
order  calls  for  6-inch  No.  2  dressed  two  sides ;"  and  I  was  the  goat. 

Mr,  Miller:     Why  did  he  take  the  20,000  and  reject  the  2,000? 

Mr.  McDonald:     Because  the  two  thousand  feet  was  No. '2. 

Mr.  Jones :  Well,  the  only  thing  you  could  do  with  him  was 
to  allow  the  difference  in  the  price  between  the  two  grades.  He  has 
no  legal  or  moral  right  to  accept  20,000  feet  of  the  shipment  and 
reject  2,000  on  account  of  the  method  of  manufacture  when  it  was 
all  manufactured  the  same  way.  He  admits  that,  when  he  accepts 
20,000,  that  it  is  entirely  satisfactory  for  it  to  be  dressed  on  the  edge. 

Mr.  McDonald :  I  don't  want  to  go  ahead  and  make  the  cus- 
tomer take  it  or  make  the  mill  take  it.  I  wanted  to  find  some  way 
to  compromise  it,  and  I  have  not  been  able  to  do  it.  The  only 
compromise  I  have  got  is  to  pay  for  the  2,000  feet  myself  -and  let 


SELLINGLUMBER  107 

it  lay  in  the  customer's  yard;  and  I  wanted  some  suggestion  as  to 
how  to  compromise  it  (laughter). 

Mr.  Lennox :  How  is  it  possible  to  re-saw  B  and  better  1  x  12; 
that  is  to  say,  if  the  1  x  12  be  in  the  rough,  and  it  is  re-sawed,  how 
thick  could  it  be  made  ? 

Mr.  Jones :  Well,  they  couldn't  re-saw  it  within  less  than  l/% 
inch,  I  don't  think.  I  am  not  a  machinist.  I  never  ran  a  planing 
mill,  and  I  really  couldn't  answer  that  question. 

Mr.  Moss :     Mr.  Jones,  what  is  select  No.  1  ? 

Mr.  Jones :     There  is  no  such  a  specification  as  select  No.  1,    No  «seiect» 
common.     It  is  a  misnomer.  No.  1  Common 

Mr.  Isbell :  Why  do  some  mills  ship  No.  1  common  90%  free 
from  knots,  and  other  mills  ship  No.  1  common  90%  with  knots, 
both  inspected  under  the  official  inspection  rules?  One  of  them 
runs  90%  free  of  knots,  and  the  other  runs  90%  with  knots — 
both  No.  1  common? 

Mr. Jones:     Both  No.  1  common? 

Mr.  Isbell:     Yes. 

Mr.  Jones :  Well,  there  are  other  defects  that  make  it  No. 
1  common.  It  is  the  defects  in  the  board  that  make  it  No.  1 
common;  it  is  not  the  board  itself. 

Mr.  Isbell :     The  customer  can't  discover  them,  though. 

Mr.  Jones:     Can't  discover  the  defects? 

Mr.  Isbell :     No,  sir. 

Mr.  Jones :     Well,  he  is  unfortunate. 

A  Salesman :  Some  time  ago  an  order  was  taken  for  6-inch 
board ;  nothing  said  about  thickness.  The  customer  expected 
13/16  and  received  3/4.  The  shipper  acknowledged  that  he  was 
willing  to  stand  the  difference.  What  should  the  difference  be? 

Mr.  Jones :  That  is  a  question  of  price,  and  I  am  not  in 
position  to  answer  that.  That  is  a. matter  that  he  would  have 
to  settle  satisfactorily  with  his  customer.  If  the  customer  ordered 
flooring  he  had  a  perfect  right  to  expect  13/16,  and  if  he  didn't 
get  13/16  it  wasn't  flooring. 

Mr.  Houston:     In  grading  No.  2  center  matched,  you  said  25  Cente? 
per  cent   waste.     How  many  cuts  ?  Matched 

Mr.  Jones :  It  is  based  on  the  standard  of  16-inch  centers, 
and  in  that  way  you  will  figure  that  each  cut  will  consume  16 
inches  waste.  Therefore  in  a  10,  12  and  14-foot,  we  would 
allow  two  cuts.  In  16,  18  and  20,  we  would  allow  three  cuts; 


108  SELLINGLUMBER 

in  other  words,  as  many  knot  holes  in  one  place  as  could  be  cut 
out  with  16  inches  of  waste;  but  if  they  couldn't  cut  it  without 
more  than  sixteen  inches  of  waste,  then  each  knot  hole  would  be 
considered  a  cut. 

Mr.  Houston:  That  applies  to  No.  2  flooring  or  No.  2 
fencing? 

Mr.  Jones:  That  applies  to  No.  2  common  flooring;  and  No. 
2  common  fencing,  surfaced  two  sides  and  center  matched  is 
graded  the  same  as  flooring.  No.  2  common  fencing  surfaced 
two  sides  or  rough,  as  the  case  might  be,  is  not  graded  with  a 
view  to  any  waste  whatever. 

Mr.  Houston:  How  many  cuts  could  you  have  in  a  piece 
of  No.  3  fencing  dressed  and  matched  where  you  have  got  3/4 
Fencing  °^  tne  len£th  cut  as  good  as  No.  2  common;  how  many  pieces 

must  that  3/4  be  in  ? 

Mr.  Jones:  It  may  be  in  three  or  four  pieces;  just  so  it  will 
cut  75  per  cent  as  sound  as  No.  2  common. 

Mr.  Houston:  Then  you  would  admit  more  pieces  in  the 
residue  of  No.  3  fencing? 

Mr.  Jones :  Yes,  I  would  allow  more  pieces.  It  is  a  lower 
grade  lumber. 

Mr.  Van  Landingharn :  On  this  No.  2  center  matched  again, 
there  seems  to  be  a  good  deal  of  difference  of  opinion  between 
the  inspectors  and  the  railroad  committee.  I  have  had  consider- 
able correspondence  with  the  railroad  committee,  and  one  of 
them  tells  me  he  was  instrumental  in  drawing  up  that  rule  in 
the  first  place,  and  he  tells  me  that  rule  provided  for  only  taking 
care  of  an  occasional  piece.  Now,  a  while  ago  you  said  you  might 
allow  25  per  cent  waste? 

Mr.  Jones :  Yes.  There  is  no  difference  whatever  in  the 
inspection  on  6-inch  center  matched  and  No.  2  common  flooring. 
It  only  provides  for  the  occasional  piece  in  fencing,  and  it  would 
only  provide  for  the  occasional  piece  in  flooring.  Now,  I  don't 
know — I  wasn't  present  when  that  rule  was  inserted;  I  knew 
nothing  about  it  until  it  was  in  there;  and  if  that  was  the  idea 
they  meant  to  convey,  to  take  care  of  the  occasional  piece,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  add  in  that  rule  the  per  cent  of  pieces 
that  would  be  allowed,  admitting  of  waste. 

Mr.  Van  Landingharn :  How  can  a  man  tell  what  he  is  going 
to  get? 


SELLINGLUMBER  109 

Mr.  Jones  :  You  will  find  the  same  proportion  of  pieces 
having  waste  in  No.  2  common  fencing  surfaced  two  sides  and 
center  matched,  as  you  would  in  No.  2  common  flooring,  because 
it  is  manufactured  and  graded  under  identical  operations,  graded  and 


by  the  same  man  that  grades  the  flooring,  and  he  doesn't  make   ^^  "If  Grad" 
any  distinction  between  that  and  the  flooring.     It  is  just  simply 
the  condition,  or  rather  the  quality  of  the  stock  that  is  run  in  the 
fencing. 

Mr.  Blake:  The  grading  rules  specify  that  1x12  boards 
shall  be  not  less  than  \\y2  inches  wide. 

Mr.  Jones  :     Yes. 

Mr.  Blake:  Suppose  you  received  an  order  for  1x12  S  2  S, 
and  you  dressed  that  three  sides  to  11^  inches;  you  would  have 
a  rejection. 

Mr.  Jones:  You  would.  You  didn't  fill  the  contract  at  all. 
It  is  not  the  intention  that  they  meant  to  convey,  that  the  entire 
shipment  might  be  llJ/2  inches. 

Mr.  Blake  :  Don't  you  think  such  provisions  as  that  should 
be  corrected,  so  as  to  allow  no  difference  of  opinion  between 
the  fellow  who  is  buying  it  and  the  fellow  who  is  shipping  it? 
Each  one  is  trying  to  do  what  is  right. 

Mr.  Jones  :     I  know,   but  — 

Mr.  Blake:  I  will  ask  this,  further:  What  would  be  the 
difference  in  instructing  the  sawyers  to  cut  those  boards  so  that 
after  drying  they  would  be  11^  inches? 

Mr.  Jones  :     Well,  there  would  not  be  any  difference,  so  far 
as  that  is  concerned.     But  I  was  going  on  to  say,  that  is  there 
to   take  care  of   the   occasional   miss-cut,   or   the   board   that   has 
undergone  unusual  shrinkage.     There  is  no  man  that  can   fix  a  ^/yldthlf 
saw  so  that  it  will  run  true  all  the  time  and  cut  every  board  the  Bound  to 
same  width.     There  is  bound  to  be  some  variation  in  the  width;  Occur 
and  a  piece  that  does  not  fall  below   11^   inches,  although  it  is 
a  slightly  miss-cut  board,  is  still  admissible  for  12  inches. 

Mr.  Blake:  Well,  then,  what  would  be  admissible  on  an 
order,  dressed  two  sides,  or  dressed  three  sides? 

Mr.  Jones:  Three  sides?  What  would  be  admissible?  11^. 
In  all  1-inch  common  stock  which  is  ordered  surfaced  two  sides, 
one  edge  may  be  dressed  to  bring  the  width  ^-inch  scant  of  the 


110 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Standardize 
Association 
Rules  to 
The  Intent  of 


Pitch  in 
No.  1 
Pine  Lath 


full  width,  which  would  be 

Mr.  Blake:     Would  the  same  apply  to  thickness? 

Mr.  Jones  :    Thickness  ?    No,  sir. 

Mr.  Blake:  You  would  not  have  the  privilege  of  setting  the 
machine  to  dress  one  side  at  %  ? 

Mr.  Jones :  You  can  dress  it  to  1  inch,  and  still  be  counted 
as  rough. 

Mr.  Blake :     %  is  considered  rough  ? 

Mr.  Jones :     That  is  the  minimum  thickness. 

Mr.  Blake:  It  seems  to  me — I  don't  understand  it — it  don't 
seem  right  to  me.  If  a  man  orders  a  car  of  1x12  boards  dressed 
one  side  to  %,  he  certainly  has  a  fuller  thickness  to  work  on  than 
if  he  received  the  boards  rough  %. 

Mr.  Jones:  Well,  he  doesn't  get  them  all  %  in  the  rough. 
The  same  thing  applies  to  the  thickness  as  it  does  to  the  width. 
That  is  intended  for  the  occasional  miss-cut  piece  that  will  occur 
in  the  best  regulated  mill. 

Mr.  Blake:  The  intent  of  the  rules  of  the  Association  is  to 
standardize  ? 

Mr.  Jones:     Yes. 

Mr.  Blake:  Well,  now,  it  seems  to  me  that  there  is  a  work- 
ing difference  there.  You  say  he  expects  to  get  something  better; 
that  is  your  answer  to  my  question :  he  expects  to  get  something 
better.  Didn't 'you  answer  my  question  that  way— that  he  ex- 
pects to  get  something  better  than  %  flooring  when  he  specifies 
rough  ? 

Mr.  Jones:  Yes.  He  has  ordered  1-inch  stock.  He  has  a 
right  to  something  better  than  %. 

Mr.  Blake :     I  should  say  so. 

Mr.  Jones :    Well,  it  says  so — it  doesn't  say  so  directly. 

The   Chairman:     Any   other   questions,   gentlemen? 

Mr.  Spencer:  Mr.  Jones,  about  how  much  pitch,  if  any, 
should  be  allowed  in  No.  1  yellow  pine  lath? 

Mr.  Jones :  Very  little.  I  would  not  undertake  to  specify 
the  amount  of  pitch  that  should  be  allowed  in  No.  1  lath. 

A  Voice :    It  would  not  stay  on  when  they  put  the  mortar  on. 

Mr.  Jones :  No.  Very  little  pitch  should  be  allowed  in  No. 
1  lath. 


SELLING     LUMBER  111 

Mr.  Spencer :  Would  the  same  be  true  of  No.  2  as  No.  1, 
because  of  the  fact  that  they  would  both  be  used  for  the  same 
purpose  ? 

Mr.  Jones :  No,  I  would  not  say  so ;  because  No.  2  is  a 
cheaper  grade  and  expected  to  be  used  in  a  cheaper  building. 

A  Voice :     And  throw  parts  of  it  away,  too. 

Mr.  Spencer:  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  will  allow 
waste  in  No.  2  lath? 

Mr.  Jones :  No,  no ;  you  don't  allow  any  waste  in  No.  2 
lath.  But  he  can  throw  part  of  his  lath  away.  (Laughter.) 

Mr.  Marshall :  An  order  calling  for  2x4,  S  &  E ;  mill  sur- 
faced four  sides  to  the  S  &  E  standard.  Can  the  customer  com- 
plain of  the  working,  and  can  he  be  sustained? 

Mr.  Jones :  He  cannot  complain  of  the  working  and  would 
not  be  sustained,  if  it  was  surfaced  four  sides  to  the  standard. 

Mr.  Bower:  I  want  to  make  a  few  remarks  in  regard  to  the 
School  of  Salesmanship. 

The  Chairman:     Is  the  question  to  Mr.  Jones? 

Mr.  Bower :  No ;  but  I  thought  this  is  about  going  to  break 
up  here  in  a  minute,  and  I  just  wanted  to  put  this  to  the  salesmen 
while  they  are  here. 

The  Chairman:     All  right. 

Mr.  Bower:  I  want  to  know,  after  the  Southern  Pine  Asso- 
ciation members  have  gone  to  the  expense  of  having  all  these 
salesmen  come  up  here,  whether  or  not  there  is  going  to  be  a 
permanent  organization;  and,  don't  you  think,  or  don't  the  sales- 
men who  are  here  in  attendance  think,  that  instead  of  going  to 
retail  lumber  dealers'  associations  in  the  future,  that  it  would  be  to  Gin 
far  better  to  go  to  a  school  of  salesmanship  once  a  year,  and  there- 
by getting  training,  and  not  getting  gin-headed  at  these  retail  lum- 
ber dealers'  conventions?  (Applause.) 

The  Chairman:  Gentlemen,  you  have  heard  Mr.  Bower's 
suggestion. 

Mr.  Bower:  I  personally  would  like  to  come  up  here  once 
a  year  instead  of  sticking  around  in  Texas  and  attending  retail 
lumbermen's  conventions  and  never  picking  up  any  business. 

Mr.  Montgomery:  Apropos  of  what  Mr.  Bower  has  to  say, 
I  have  a  resolution  I  would  like  to  offer.  I  think  without  ex- 
ception all  who  have  attended  this  School  of  Salesmanship  will 
agree  that  we  have  been  greatly  benefited  and  while  it  was  not, 


112 


SELLING     LUMBER 


A  Resolution 
of  Thanks  for 
the  Associa- 
tion 


Some 
Questions 
Answered 
by  Letter 


perhaps,  the  original  purpose  that  we  should  all  have  a  good  time, 
I  think,  nevertheless,  we  have  all  had  a  good  time,  and  on  that 
account  I  want  to  offer  the  following  resolution,  which  I  have 
prepared : 

"Be  It  Resolved,  That  the  Committee  on  Salesmanship  and 
Distribution  extend  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Southern 
Pine  Association,  and  also  the  owners  of  concerns  participating  in 
this  meeting  by  permitting  their  sales  departments  to  join,  a  vote 
of  thanks,,  and  an  expression  of  appreciation  and  earnest  co- 
operation, by  making  an  attempt  to  improve  ourselves  as  salesmen, 
with  a  view  of  improving  the  present  method  of  distributing  our 
product/' 

I  would  like  to  offer  that. 

The  Chairman:     You  have  heard  the   resolution,   gentlemen. 

(The  resolution,  having  been  duly  seconded,  was  put  by  the 
Chairman  to  a  viva  voce  vote,  and  was  unanimously  carried.) 

The  Chairman :  Gentlemen,  it  will  be  manifestly  impossible 
for  us  to  attempt  through  any  concerted  plan  or  by  any  method, 
to  answer  all  of  these  questions.  Is  there  any  other  question 
before  we  adjourn?  We  will  adjourn  permanently — any  question 
that  you  want  settled  before  you  leave,  and  you  won't  wait  until 
we  can  turn  over  these  questions  to  competent  hands  and  have 
them  answered  in  the  printed  record?  We  would  like  to  have  it 
now.  If  not,  we  will  proceed.  (Pause.) 

Gentlemen,  I  wish  to  say  that  every  paper,  without  excep- 
tion, that  is  listed  on  the  original  program,  together  with  one  or 
two  splendid  papers  that  were  not  on  the  program,  but  have 
been  offered  us  by  salesmen,  will  be  printed  in  the  record.  Dr. 
Kreb's  speech,  General  Boyle's  speech,  and  all  of  the  extem- 
poraneous addresses  have  been  taken  down  by  the  stenographer, 
and  they  wtfl  all  be  incorporated  in  that  book.  Mr.  Rhodes  tells 
me  that  he  is  going  to  spend  his  summer  vacation  indexing  that 
volume.  I  anticipate  that  the  book  will  not  be  out  until  about  the 
middle  of  August,  but  it  will  come  in  good  shap£,  properly  in- 
dexed, and  all  of  the  discussions  and  questions  will  be  incorpor- 
ated in  it.  There  are  some  few  questions  that  have  been  put  to  us, 
that  for  various  reasons  we  can't  print  the  answer;  but  if  the 
gentlemen  will  sign  the  questions  we  will  be  very  glad  to  answer 
them  by  letter. 


SELLING     LUMBER  113 


We  anticipated,  when  we  first  put  on  the  School  of  Sales- 
manship, that  we  would  be  able  to  hand  you,  as  you  passed  out, 
a  printed  record,  but  unfortunately,  a  great  many  of  the  speakers 
didn't  send  in  their  prepared  addresses,  and  we  spread  out  a  little 
and  got  speakers  who  used  no  notes,  so  that  the  book  cannot  be 
given  you  as  you  leave  the  hall. 

There  is  one  thing,  however,  that  I  wish  to  caution  you  gentle- 
men about,  and  that  is,  don't  expect  immediate  results  either  from 
this  or  from  the  territorial  organization.  The  grading  rules  of  yel- 
low pine  have  been  written  a  great  many  years.  The  grading  com- 
mittee of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  has  been  at  them  for  the  Don't  Expect 

,.  .        Immediate 
last  year  and  a  half,  and  they  are  just  beginning  to  see  daylight    Results 

ahead.  It  is  a  long,  uphill  pull,  and  it  may  be  one  or  two  years  be- 
fore any  results  of  this  or  the  territorial  meeting  will  be  felt  in  the 
lumber  world. 

Gentlemen,  as  Chairman  of  the  Sales  and  Distribution  Com- 
mittee, I  want  to  thank  all  of  you  sincerely  for  the  splendid  at- 
tention and  attendance  you  have  given.  The  attendance  went 
way  beyond  our  expectation,  and  the  results  obtained  are  very 
gratifying.  A  motion  to  adjourn  is  in  order. 

(A  motion  to  adjourn  was  made,  and  having  been  duly  sec- 
onded, was  put  by  the  Chairman,  and  unanimously  carried.) 

Thereupon,  at  4:40  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  School  of  Salesmanship 
adjourned,  sine  die. 


114  SELLING     LUMBER 

Territorial  Organization  of 
Traveling  Salesmen 

Herewith  is  the  list  of  chairmen  and  alternates  for  the  territorial  organi- 
zation of  salesmen,  explanatory  details  of  which  are  given  in  the  report  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  convention,  elsewhere  in  this  book: 

TERRITORY.  CHAIRMAN.  ALTERNATE. 

Texas    H.  A.  Strube F.  J.  Lennox 

Oklahoma    B.  H.  Miller J.  F.  Schnieders 

Kansas    Otis  Smith J.  S.  Prestridge 

Indiana    Ed.  Troy Alexander  Hamilton 

Ohio ." J.  R.  Diamond Jas.  H.  Heyl 

Kentucky  &  Term H.  S.  McLaughlin J.  A.  Brook 

Northern    Illinois S.  E.  Barwick Jack  Brantley 

Michigan C.  J.  Ashton Chas.  W.  Myers 

Nebraska  &  Iowa  W R.  K.  Eaton W.  M.  Simpson 

Minn.  &  Iowa  East Chas.  Martin Geo.  Fleming  (Clements) 

Virginia  &  W.  Penn T.  H.  Meed — 

Illinois,  South E.  B.  Eckart E.  E.  Willett 

(C.  B.  Willis) 

Missouri,  East R.  S.  Price D.  M.  Lacey 

Missouri,  West C.  W.  Thornton J.  H.  Hatcher 

New  York  City Rodney  E.  Browne Joseph  H.  Lane 

Arkansas J.  H.  Smith H.  B.  Houck 

Alabama  &  Louisiana W.  A.  Morton 


Louisiana  F.  H.  Campbell J.  D.  Batchelor 

New  England 

Mississippi  

Southeast  Seaboard W.  C.  Fellows. .  . . 


SELLING    LUMBER  115 

What  the  Southern  Pine  As- 
sociation Is        i- 

By  J.  E.  Rhodes  | 

Secretary- Manager,  Southern  Pine  Association 

New  Orleans,  La. 

The  Southern  Pine  Association  is  unique  among  commercial 
organizations  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  a  corporation  organized  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
Missouri,  for  the  purpose  of  selling  certain  service  to  subscribers. 
It  has  a  paid-up  capital  stock  of  $2,000,  held  by  its  directors.  The 
service  of  the  Association  is  sold  like  that  of  a  mercantile  rating 
agency,  to  any  person  who  desires  it,  but  it  is  of  a  special  value 
to  the  manufacturers  and  wholesalers  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine 
only. 

Each  person  or  firm  subscribing  to  the  service-  of  the  Associa- 
tion signs  a  contract  which  specifies  that  in  order  that  the  objects 
of  the  Association  may  be  carried  out,  as  a  clearing  house  of  infor- 
mation concerning  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  certain  information  will 
be  furnished  for  compilation  and  distribution  in  the  shape  of  sum- 
maries or  averages  for  the  benefit  of  all,  and  that  when  such  infor- 
mation is  furnished,  a  rebate  of  5  cents  per  thousand  will  be  made 
to  the  subscriber  on  his  fees,,  which  makes  a  net  rate  of  assessment 
of  5  cents  per  thousand,  based  on  monthly  sales. 

Because  of  the  results  achieved  from  the  work  so  far  inaugu- 
rated by  the  fee  of  5  cents  on  monthly  sales,  it  is  now  proposed 
to  increase  the  subscription  fees  1  cent  for  every  six  months,  be- 
ginning July  1,  until  the  maximum  net  fee  of  10  cents  per  thou- 
sand has  been  reached,  if  it  is  found  that  the  revenue  based  upon 
that  charge  is  necessary. 

The  affairs  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  are  supervised 
by  a  board  of  two  directors  from  each  state  in  which  subscribers 
are  located,  with  three  from  the  State  of  Missouri.     Hence  with 
two  directors   each  from   Florida,   Georgia,   Alabama,   Mississippi,    HowAssocia- 
Louisiana,  Texas,  Arkansas  and  Oklahoma,  and  three  from  Mis-    Are  Managed 
souri,  there  is  a  board  of  nineteen  directors.     The  directors   are 
nominated  by  the  subscribers  of  each  state,  and  are  thereupon  elected 
by  the  stockholders  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  corporation.    The 


116  SELLING     LUMBER 

directors,  in  turn,  elect  the  president,  two  vice  presidents,  treasurer 
and  secretary  of  the  corporation,  and  they  also  employ  the  man- 
ager of  the  Association.  The  directors  meet  once  each  month  to 
pass  upon  all  details  of  the  organization  as  submitted  by  the  presi- 
dent and  the  secretary-manager,  including  the  work  and  recom- 
mendations of  the  various  committees. 

The  work  of  the  organization  is  largely  conducted  by  com- 
mittees, which  have  direct  supervision  over  the  several  departments. 
These  committees  are  composed  of  representatives  of  the  subscrib- 
ers, each  subscriber  being  asked  upon  what  committee  its  repre- 
sentatives would  like  to  serve.  Each  individual  concerned  is  urged 
to  lend  his  services  to  that  particular  branch  of  the  work  in  which 
he  may  be  most  interested,  thus  enlisting  the  active  participation 
and  interest  of  all.  The  committees  are  appointed  by  the  board 
of  directors,  and  each  committee  selects  its  own  chairman.  All 
but  twelve  subscribers  are  represented  on  committees,  and  these 
prefer  not  to  be. 

The  Association  now  has  167  subscribers,  representing  195 
mills  manufacturing  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  and  one  wholesaler. 
Their  aggregate  annual  shipments  amount  to  between  5,250,000,000 
and  5,500,000,000  feet.  These  firms  represent  the  progressive  ele- 
ment of  the  industry.  They  are  men  who  believe  in  co-operation 
and  who  are  willing  to  bear  their  share  of  the  work  and  pay  their 
portion  of  the  expenses  for  the  good  of  the  whole. 

The  following  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  work  of  the  several 
departments  conducted  by  the  Association. 

Inspection  Service — The   inspection   department  is  under  the 

supervision  of  the  grading  committee,  which  consists  of  sub-com- 

Association    mittees  having  charge  of  the  standard  specifications  for  the  grad- 

Inspection     mg  of  varcj  stOck,  timbers,  car  material,  railroad  maintenance  of 

way  material,  lath,  shingles,  structural  timbers,  navy  specifications 

and  export  grades,   as  well  as  sub-committees  on  standard  sizes, 

dry  kiln  methods,  mouldings  and  brandings. 

The  inspection  staff  consists  of  the  chief  inspector,  inspector  of 
grades,  and  sixteen  official  inspectors.  The  mills  represented  by 
the  Association  are  divided  into  nine  inspection  districts,  each  being 
covered  by  a  mill  route  inspector,  who  visits  the  plants  in  his  dis- 
trict once  every  thirty  days.  The  mill  inspector  leaves  a  report 
showing  the  items  of  stock  handled  by  him,  and  the  percentage 
above  and  below  grade  on  the  amount  of  feet  of  each  grade  in- 
spected. He  instructs  the  mill  graders  in  their  work,  and  efficiency 


SELLING     LUMBER  117 

cards  are  issued  to  the  graders  of  each  class  of  stock  at  each  mill, 
based  upon  the  monthly  report  of  the  Association  inspector.  The 
instructor  of  grades  follows  the  work  of  the  mill  route  inspectors 
and  confers  with  mill  graders  regarding  their  understanding  and 
interpretation  of  the  Association  rules.  For  this  purpose  local  con- 
ferences are  held,  attended  by  all  of  the  graders  of  a  certain  mill 
town  or  district.  Conferences  of  the  head  graders  of  mills  and 
the  Association  inspectors  are  held  by  the  chief  inspector  at  least 
every  six  months  in  different  sections,  in  order  that  the  most  abso- 
lute uniformity  possible  in  the  interpretation  of  the  Association 
specifications  may  be  arrived  at  among  all  of  the  mills  whose 
grades  are  under  the  supervision  of  the  Association.  In  order  to 
still  further  arrive  at  this  result,  the  Association  inspectors  are  trans- 
ferred from  one  mill  route  to  another  about  every  six  months, 
which  enables  them  to  compare  the  grades  as  made  in  one  district 
with  those  of  another. 

The  Association  receives  an  average  of  five  claims  per  day, 
making  necessary  the  employment  of  from  eight  to  ten  claim  in- 
spectors for  the  inspection  of  stock  rejected  by  purchasers.  These 
men,  all  of  whom  are  transferred  from  mill  route  work  and  fre- 
quently rotated  with  the  mill  route  inspectors,  cover  practically  the 
entire  country,  an  effort  being  made  to  handle  all  claims  within 
two  weeks  after  the  receipt  of  the  papers.  Up  to  the  present  time 
inspections  have  been  made  upon  Association  grades,  upon  the  re- 
quests of  any  manufacturers  or  wholesalers,  upon  the  payment  of 
$10  per  day  for  the  services  of  the  inspector  and  his  expenses.  In- 
spections for  subscribers  are  made  for  the  actual  expense  only.  Be- 
ginning July  1  the  Association  will  make  inspections  upon  stock 
manufactured  by  subscriber  mills  only.  Inspections  will  be  made 
upon  the  order  of  subscribers  upon  stock  purchased  by  them  from 
other  mills  and  sold  upon  Association  grades. 

Nearly  one  hundred  retail  lumber  dealers,  representing  the  re- 
tail trade  of  the  United  States,  as  guests  of  the  Southern  Pine  Asso- 
ciation, recently  visited  mills  of  subscribers  and  inspected  the  sys- 
tem by  which  we  seek  to  establish  the  greatest  uniformity  possible  Retailers  Urge 
in  the  grading  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine.  As  a  result,  they  em- 
phatically  urge  all  manufacturers  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  to  sup- 
port the  Southern  Pine  Association  and  participate  in  its  inspec- 
tion service.  The  co-operation  of  the  dealers  has  been  requested 
in  revising  and  amplifying  the  standard  specifications  of  the  Asso- 


118 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Helpful 
Current 
Statistical 
Service 


elation,  in  order  that  there  may  be  the  least  possible  doubt  and  mis- 
understanding of  their  meaning. 

It  is  the  desire  of  the  grading  committee  to  establish  the  integ- 
rity of  the  grades  for  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  so  that  the  purchaser 
may  be  assured  of  receiving  stock  of  the  grade  which  he  ordered. 
To  carry  out  this  policy  the  Association  will  furnish  an  inspector 
to  review  any  shipment  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  sold  upon  Asso- 
ciation specifications,  when  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  a 
lower  grade  from  that  ordered  was  deliberately  shipped. 

The  printed  grading  rules  of  the  Association  are  for  free  dis- 
tribution, a  copy  of  the  standard  specifications  for  yard  grades 
having  been  mailed  to  every  lumber  buyer  in  the  United  States. 
Copies  of  these  rules,  as  well  as  of  the  specifications  for  "Railroad 
Maintenance  of  Way  Material,"  "Car  Material,"  "Timbers,"  and 
export  grades  will  be  furnished  for  distribution  to  your  customers. 
The  moulding  book  has  also  been  sent  to  the  retail  trade  of  the  coun- 
try, and  its  general  distribution  and  adoption  is  urged. 

The  sub-committee  on  branding  is  now  experimenting  with 
various  devices  for  the  automatic  branding  of  lumber,  with  the 
trade-mark  of  the  Association  and  the  index  number  of  the  mill, 
which  will  make  the  identification  of  stock  easily  possible.  The 
use  of  the  trade-mark  will  be  confined  to  subscriber  mills,  and  sub- 
scribers are  requested  to  insert  in  each  car  shipped  a  card  on  which 
will  be  shown  the  grade  and  tally  of  each  item  loaded,  with  the 
statement  that  the  shipper  guarantees  the  same.  The  name  of  the 
mill,  or  its  index  number,  as  given  by  the  Association,  will  be  shown 
on  the  card. 

The  American  public  is  increasingly  demanding  that  manu- 
facturers shall  guarantee  their  product,  and  it  is  the  desire  of  the 
grading  committee  that  the  Southern  Pine  industry  should  occupy 
its  rightful  position  before  the  public  by  guaranteeing,  not  only  the 
exact  grade  and  tally  sold,  but  a  square  deal  in  the  adjustment  of 
complaints. 

Statistical  Service — One  of  the  most  important  functions  of 
the  Association  is  the  publication  of  accurate  statistics  concerning 
the  industry.  The  Weekly  Trade  Barometer,  inaugurated  a  year 
ago,  has  become  a  recognized  feature  of  the  entire  lumber  indus- 
try, reflecting  as  it  does  an  accurate  showing  of  production,  orders 
and  shipments  of  Yellow  Pine.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  committee 
of  accounting  and  statistics,  under  whose  supervision  all  statistics 


SELLING     LUMBER  119 

are   compiled,   to   furnish   the  Weekly  Trade   Barometer   and   the 
monthly  statistical  summary  to  all  who  desire  them. 

The  veracity  of  these  statistics  has  been  absolutely  confirmed 
by  the  fact  that  during  the  last  twenty  weeks  they  have  been  pub- 
lished broadcast,  at  the  time  when  the  market  conditions  illustrated 
by  them  have  been  generally  unfavorable  to  the  interests  of  manu- 
facturers. 

The  monthly  report  of  "visible  supply"  of  stocks  held  by  the 
manufacturers  in  shipping  condition  and  uncovered  by  orders,  was 
recently  inaugurated  and  will  be  of  increasing  value,  as  it  becomes 
possible  to  make  comparisons  of  the  quantity  of  different  grades 
on  hand  from  month  to  month. 

In  addition,  the  monthly  summary  shows  the  relation  of  stocks 
on  hand  to  the  normal  or  average  stock  usually  held.  This  report 
also  shows  production  and  shipments  in  relation  to  the  actual  pro- 
duction for  any  given  month. 

Accounting  Service — Under  the  supervision  of  the  committee 
of  accounting  and  statistics,  statements  of  costs  of  production  sub- 
mitted by  subscribers,  are  compiled  each'  month  giving  the  details 
of  the  various  items  making  up  the  costs  from  the  stump  to  the  Accounting 
lumber  loaded  for  shipment,  enabling  each  subscriber  to  compare 
his  costs  with  those  of  others.  This  work  is  in  the  interest  of  re- 
duced costs  of  production,  as  well  as  uniform  accounting,  the  ne- 
cessity for  which  will  be  explained  by  other  speakers. 

Promotion  Service—In  addition  to  its  efforts  to  bring  about 
uniform  methods  in  the  manufacturing  and  accounting  departments 
of  the  business,  the  principal  work  of  the  Association  is  devoted  to 
the  exploitation  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine.  Under  the  direction  of 
the  advertising  committee,  an  extensive  campaign  has  been  con- 
ducted in  co-operation  with  the  trade  extension  committee,  seek- 
ing to  acquaint  the  public  with  the  merits  of  yellow  pine  for  va- 
rious specific  uses.  In  addition  to  the  purchase  of  newspaper  and  Promotion 
magazine  advertising  space  and  the  publication  of  an  attractive  and  Service 
exhaustive  line  of  illustrated  books  and  pamphlets,  which  the  ad- 
vertising manager  of  the  Association  will  explain  to  you,  the  Asso- 
ciation possesses  a  quantity  of  exhibit  material,  showing  the  uses 
of  yellow  pine  for  interior  finish,  car  material,  paving  blocks, 
floors,  mill  construction  and  many  other  things.  We  also  possess 
a  number  of  sets  of  reels  of  moving  pictures  taken  with  our  own 
camera,  illustrating  Southern  lumbering  operations  from  the  stump 


120 


SELLING     LUMBER 


to  the  finished  product,  which  are  in  constant  circulation  among 
audiences  of  every  description  in  the  United  States. 

It  is  the  desire  of  the  committee  that  the  advertising  literature 
of  the  Association  shall  have  the  widest  possible  circulation,  and  al- 
though we  have  mailed  out  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of  pieces, 
many  of  them  upon  direct  requests  of  consumers  who  have  replied 
to  our  advertisements,  salesmen  can  assist  greatly  in  the  more  ef- 
fective distribution  of  this  literature.  We  shall  be  glad  to  send 
to  any  address  upon  the  request  of  any  salesman,  such  quantities  of 
our  booklets  as  he  thinks  can  be  used  to  advantage. 

Publicity  Service — In  connection  with  the  advertising  depart- 
ment a  publicity  service  is  maintained  by  the  Association  for  the 
preparation  of  articles  upon  the  Southern  lumber  industry,  in  all 
its  varied  phases,  for  publication  by  newspapers,  magazines  and 
trade  papers  of  the  country.  A  news  letter  covering  the  essential 
Association  features  of  the  market,  as  portrayed  by  the  statistics,  is  published 
Publicity  weekly  by  fifty-five  news  and  financial  papers.  In  addition,  we 
furnish  photographs  and  illustrations  desired  by  publishers  in  con- 
nection with  articles  concerning  Yellow  Pine.  In  addition  to  the 
moving  pictures  and  exhibit  material,  we  have  in  circulation  a  num- 
ber of  sets  of  lantern  slides  among  retail  lumber  dealers,  teachers, 
lecturers  and  public  speakers. 

The  trade  extension  committee  consists  of  sub-committees  on 
building  plans,  paving  blocks,  silos,  moving  pictures  and  exhibit 
material,  railroad  material,  box  shocks  and  export  sales. 

Traffic  Service — The  Association,  under  the  direction  of  the 
committee  on  transportation,  maintains  a  comprehensive  file  of 
.  lumber  tariffs  for  the  use  of  subscribers,  also  a  library  containing 
rulings  of  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission,  and  of  all  state 
Railroad  Commissions  as  well  as  statistics  of  lumber  and  other  ton- 
nage, data  on  scale  weights,  car  supply  and  other  transportation 
records.  The  Association  is  in  position  to  furnish  any  information 
concerning  traffic  matters,  and  will  vigorously  take  up  in  behalf 
of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  shippers  any  traffic  matters  in  which  no 
conflict  of  interest  appears  between  the  various  subscribers  of  the 
Association. 

Subscribers  are  furnished  monthly,  as  a  part  of  this  service, 
the  freight  rate  books  issued  by  the  Schuster  Printing  Company. 

Engineering  Service — In  connection  with  the  work  of  a  num- 
ber of  the  sub-committees  of  the  trade  extension  committee,  the 


Traffic 
Service 


SELLING    LUMBER  121 

Association  maintains  an  engineering  department  to  which  is  re- 
ferred questions  of  technical  character  for  scientific  research.  T^^e 
deal  chiefly  with  problems  of  construction,  wood  preservation,  lire 
proofing,,  utilization  of  waste,  improper  uses  of  wood,  tests  of  tim- 
bers, dry  kilning  methods  and  creosoted  block  paving.  The  pub- 
licity in  behalf  of  creosoted  wood  block  paving  for  streets  and  fac-  Engineering 
tory  floors  is  followed  up  by  the  paving  engineer  and  his  repre- 
sentatives. The  Association  issues  specifications  recommending  the 
methods  of  treating  and  laying  wood  block  pavements.  This  serv- 
ice is  at  your  disposal  any  time  you  have  any  questions  of  a  tech- 
nical nature  upon  which  you  or  your  customers  want  information. 

The  Association  architect  prepares  plans  of  all  types  of  struc- 
tures for  the  use  of  the  advertising  department,  as  well  as  passing 
upon  questions  submitted  by  those  who  respond  to  our  advertising. 
This  service,  in  connection  with  the  trade  extension  bureau  of  the 
National  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association,  keeps  in  touch  with 
the  changes  in  the  building  codes  of  the  various  cities,  and  with  pro- 
posed ordinances  seeking  to  restrict  or  eliminate  the  use  of  wood 
under  unfair  competitive  conditions. 

The  engineering  department  has  issued  the  Southern  Pine  Man- 
ual, containing  technical  data  for  the  use  of  architects  and  builders. 

Under  the  supervision  of  the  committee  on  export  sales,  the  As- 
sociation maintains  a  European  representative,  who  is  now  in  charge 
of  an  exhibit  installed  in  the  "Exposition  of  a  Reconstructed  City,"    p 
in  Paris,  France.    This  is  a  very  elaborate  exhibit  intended  to  show    Work  In 
foreign  purchasers  the   variety  of  purposes   for  which  American    Eur°Pe 
Pitch  Pine  can  be  used,  as  well  as  its  availability.    A  series  of  pub- 
lications printed  in  foreign  languages  is  being  published. 

One  of  the  most  recently  appointed  committees  is  that  of  sales 
and  distribution,  under  whose  auspices  the  school  of  salesmanship 
is  being  held.  While  the  Association  has  established  the  various 
departments  mentioned,  it  seemed  highly  desirable  to  bring  about 
the  co-ordination  of  the  sales  representatives  with  this  whole  field 
of  activity.  The  salesman  is  the  man  on  the  firing  line ;  more  than 
that,  he  is  the  advance  guard,  in  a  position  to  report  when,  where 
and  what  kind  of  shots  should  be  fired  in  order  to  advance  the 
cause  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  and  of  wood  generally,  in  the  fight 
in  which  we  are  all  enlisted. 

You  will  observe  from  what  I  have  stated  that  the  Association 
possesses  much  of  the  machinery  necessary  to  keep  Southern  Pine 


122 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Government 
Approval  of 
Co-Operative 
Organizations 


before  the  public,  to  insure  those  who  use  it  of  honest  treatment, 
and  to  study  and  investigate  the  improvements  which  can  be  made 
in  manufacturing  and  merchandising,  and  to  achieve  the  highest 
efficiency  possible  for  the  industry. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  work  is  conducted  in  strict  con- 
formity with  the  laws.  It  is,  indeed,  exactly  in  harmony  with  the 
views  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  who  in  a  recent  letter 
to  the  chairman  of  the  Federal  Trade  Commission  urging  the  ne- 
cessity of  increased  efficiency  on  the  part  of  the  American  busi- 
ness, said: 

THE  WHITE  HOUSE,  WASHINGTON. 

"Mv  DEAR  MR.  HURLEY: 

"Your  suggestion  that  trade  associations,  manufactur- 
ers' associations,  and  other  similar  organizations  should 
be  encouraged  in  every  feasible  way  by  the  Government 
seems  to  me  a  very  wise  one.  To  furnish  them  with  data 
and  comprehensive  information  in  order  that  they  may 
more  easily  accomplish  the  result  that  they  are  organized 
for  is  a  proper  and  useful  government  function.  These 
associations,  when  organized  for  the  purpose  of  improv- 
ing conditions  in  their  particular  industry,  such  as  unifying 
cost  accounting  and  bookkeeping  methods,  standardizing 
products  and  processes  of  manufacture,  should  meet  with 
the  approval  of  every  man  interested  in  the  business  prog- 
ress of  the  country. 

"Too  much  emphasis  cannot  be  placed  on  your  sugges- 
tion that  materials,  methods  and  products  in  industry 
should  be  standardized  upon  the  basis  of  specifications 
drawn  up  in  friendly  co-operation  with  engineering  socie- 
ties, industrial  experts  and  trade  associations.  Further 
standardization  in  our  industries  will  not  only  reduce  the 
cost  of  production,  but  assure  the  producer  better  ma- 
terials and  more  efficient  workmanship,  and  to  the  con- 
suming public  the  manifest  benefits  resulting  from  not 
having  to  pay  for  a  wide  and  increasing  variety  of  prod- 
ucts and  materials.  Judicious  standardization  also  means 
a  greater  return  on  a  given  investment.  Capital  now  tied 
up  because  of  inefficient  methods  will  be  released  and 
can  be  used  effectively  elsewhere. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


123 


"If  we  are  to  be  an  important  factor  in  a  world's 
markets,  we  must  be  more  thorough  and  efficient  in  pro- 
duction. The  encouragement  of  trade  associations  and 
standardization,  and  the  installing  of  better  cost  account- 
ing methods  in  our  business  concerns  will  go  a  long  way 
toward  accomplishing  this  end. 

"It  is  my  hope  that,  in  addition  to  the  other  work 
which  the  Federal  Trade  Commission  is  doing,  it  will  as- 
certain the  facts  regarding  conditions  in  our  various  indus- 
tries. If  it  finds  that  an  industry  is  not  healthy,  it  should, 
after  carefully  considering  the  facts,  in  co-operation  with 
the  parties  interested,  suggest  a  practical  and  helpful  rem- 
edy. In  this  way  many  of  our  difficult  business  problems 
might  be  solved." 

WOODROW  WILSON. 

To  summarize,  the  Southern  Pine  Association  stands  for : 
Efficient  Service, 
Uniform  Grades, 
Guaranteed  Measure, 
Intelligent  Merchandising, 
Prevention  of  Waste, 
Careful  Manufacture, 
Co-operation  with  Distributors, 
Effective  Trade  Promotion, 
Progressive  Methods, 
Accurate  Statistics, 
Scientific  Research, 
Uniform  Accounting, 
Legitimate  Publicity, 
Integrity  of  the  Industry, 

and 
A  Square  Deal. 


Trade 

Associations 
Promote 
Efficiency 


Association 
Interests 
in  Brief 


124  SELLINGLUMBER 

Character  Judging  as  a 
Business  Asset 

By  Dr.  Stanley  L.  Krebs 

Institute  of  Mercantile  Art 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

I  was  thinking  of  a  series  of  firsts.  I  expect  this  is  the 
first  time  such  a  meeting  has  been  held.  This  is  the  first  time 
that  I  have  faced  such  a  convention  with  the  particular  purpose 
A  Combina-  back  of  it  that  you  have ;  and  this  is  probably  your  first-time  con- 
"Firsts"  tact  witn  mv  specialty,  or  work,  which  I  am  pleased  to  call,  prac- 
tical or  applied  psychology,  or  the  mind  working  out  the  thing  for 
the  hand  and  the  feet  to  do,  and  doing  it.  And  in  this  combina- 
tion of  firsts,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  feel  a  little  bit  like  telling  you  an 
anecdote  of  Sam  Jones'  I  knew  Sam  well.  I  lectured  in  Carters- 
ville,  Georgia,  and  was  entertained  in  his  beautiful  home  there.  I 
was  thinking  of  something  that  happened  to  Sam  in  Dallas,  Texas, 
and  he  always  loved  to  tell  us  about  it.  In  Dallas  he  was  holding 
revival  meetings,  and  he  was  trying  to  make  the  point  that  there 
was  no  such  thing  as  a  perfect  organization.  He  said,  there  is  no 
perfect  government;  there  is  no  perfect  secret  society,  lodge  or 
fraternity;  there  is  no  perfect  church  denomination;  there  is  no 
perfect  school,  college  or  university;  there  is  no  perfect  firm  or 
company ;  there  is  no  perfect  family,  said  Mr.  Jones,  because,  he 
said,  there  is  no  perfect  individual,  and  since  each  of  the  organiza- 
A  Surprise  ^ons  or  comP°sites  are  made  up  of  pieces,  or  parts  known  as 
for  Sam  individuals,  and  those  individuals  are  all  imperfect  in  some  parti- 
Jones  cular  or  another,  you  can't  expect  a  perfect  thing  when  you  have 
got  a  bunch  of  imperfect  pieces  to  make  up  that  thing.  He 
challenged  his  audience ;  he  asked  them,  w-as  there  a  man  present 
who  was  an  absolutely  perfect  man,  and  if  there  was,  let  him 
rise  in  his  seat;  and  he  paused  and  looked  around,  but  not  a  man 
dared  to  accept  a  challenge  like  that.  Then  he  turned  to  the  ladies 
and  said,  if  there  is  a  woman  present  who  is  acquainted  with  an 
absolutely  perfect  woman,  let  her  rise  in  her  place;  and  to  Sam's 
intense  astonishment  a  demure  little  woman,  clothed  all  in  black, 
arose  in  the  middle  of  the  audience,  folded  her  arms  and  looked  at 
him.  Well,  when  Sam  could  get  his  breath  he  said :  "Sister,  are  you 


SELLING     LUMBER 


125 


acquainted  with  an  absolutely  perfect  woman?  Now,  think  of  my 
words :  An  absolutely  perfect  woman"  ?  "Well,"  she  said,  in  her 
quiet  little  manner,  "I  was  never  personally  acquainted  with  her, 
but  I  have  heard  a  great  deal  about  her.  She  was  my  husband's 
first  wife."  (Laughter.)  And  so  you  see,  first  impressions  are 
very  natural. 

Now,  the  subject  that  has  been  selected  today  is,  Character 
Reading  as  a  Salesman's  Asset;  Character  Reading  as  a  Business 
Asset;  or  the  Psychology  of  Salesmanship;  the  specific  psycho- 
logical side  of  salesmanship. 

Now,  my  friends,  as  you  know,  salesmanship  is  a  science 
today;  and  when  I  used  that  word  "science,"  I  use  it  in  exactly 
the  same  way  as  I  speak  about  the  science  of  chemistry  or  the 
science  of  astronomy.  It  is  not  simply  the  combined  opinions 
of  any  salesman  or  salesmen  or  merchants.  That  would  not  make 
a  science.  The  opinions  of  a  chemist  is  not  the  science  of  chem- 
istry. His  opinions  are  entirely  different,  as  a  rule,  from  the  ex- 
periments that  he  makes  in  his  laboratory,  and  you  can't  deny 
the  experiments,  though  you  can  deny  his  opinions.  All  opinion  Salesmanship 
is  always  shifting;  but  a  fact  that  I  can  reproduce,  that  is  perma-  ^ ^Science 
nent  forever,  for  I  can  reproduce  it  forever.  Now,  that  is  the 
thing  we  want  to  look  into  in  our  chapter  of  salesmanship,  be- 
cause you  can't  study  the  science  of  salesmanship  in  one  hour; 
you  can't  study  the  science  of  chemisty  in  one  hour.  What  kind  of 
knowledge  of  chemistry  would  you  have  after  you  listened  to 
a  lecture  on  chemistry  for  one  hour  ?  How  could  you  gain  a 
knowledge  of  astronomy  in  one  hour  ?  So  don't  expect  me,  fellow- 
salesman,  to  cover  the  art  for  you  in  one  hour — and  I  shall  leave 
off  in  the  course  of  one  hour.  It  is  utterly  impossible.  I  am 
not  going  to  attempt  it,  but  I  am  only  trying  to  give  you  the  The  (Definition 
idea,  in  order  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  it  is  a  science, 
so  that  you  will  get  the  professional  spirit,  so  that  you  will  feel, 
if  you  are  hired,  like  I  am,  by  John  Wanamaker — I  am  hired 
by  John  Wanamaker,  but  I  am  not  working  for  John  Wana- 
maker ;  I  am  working  with  John  Wanamaker ;  and  there  is  a  whole 
lot  of  difference  if  you  are  working  for  a  firm,  or  if  you  are  work- 
ing with  a  firm.  "For"  is  a  pile  of  sand  grains.  "With"  is  a  tre- 
mendous structure  and  becomes  an  engine  of  might,  hammering 
and  bolstering  success. 

Now,  what  is  salesmanship?  It  is  a  science.  Now,  what  is 
science?  There  are  two  definitions  that  are  current  today  among 


of  a  Science 


126 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Facts  That 
Can  Be  Re- 
produced 


Study  Failures 
As  Well  As 
Successes 


The  World 
Doing  Five 
Things 


scientific  bodies.  One  is  Herbert  Spencer's.  Spencer  says  that 
science  is  -classified  knowledge — not  classified  opinion.  Kreb's 
opinions,  if  we  should  classify  them,  chapter  by  chapter,  might 
be  arranged  logically,  but  they  might  be  entirely  unscientific. 
Unless  you  can  reproduce  what  I  say,  it  is  not  scientific.  It 
does  not  matter  how  true  it  might  be.  So  there  is  a  second  defi- 
nition of  science,  namely,  science  is  the  body  of  facts  that  can  be 
reproduced.  Now,  that  does  not  include  all  truth.  The  realm 
of  truth  is  larger  than  the  particular  realm  of  scientific  truth. 
Scientific  truth  is  that  part  of  truth  which  you  can  re- 
peat, and  I  can  repeat,  and  the  other  fellow  can  repeat. 
Truth  is  much  larger  than  the  scientific  part  of  it.  If  a  thing 
happens  once,  but  cannot  be  made  to  happen  again,  it  is  not 
scientific,  and  yet  it  may  be  true.  If  only  one  meteorite  ever 
fell  and  struck  this  earthly  ball,  we  would  not  have  any  chapter 
on  meteorites.  But  another  and  another  and  another  fell,  and 
you  can  repeat  the  examination  of  that  particular  stone,  and  now 
we  have  six  hundred.  One  would  have  been  just  as  true  as  sixty, 
or  six  hundred,  but  we  would  not  have  a  chapter  in  the  science 
of  astronomy  based  upon  the  falling  of  one  meteorite,  because 
the  thing  was  not  repeated.  Once  I  can  reproduce  the  X-ray,  I 
don't  need  to  listen  to  Roentgen.  I  don't  care  what  Roentgen 
says  about  it;  I  can  perfect  it  myself.  The  facts  speak  to  us 
in  science,  not  the  opinion  of  a  man  that  they  will  occur.  Herbert 
Spencer's  definition  stands,  but  it  takes  reproduction  by  thou- 
sands' of  scientists  to  prove  that  it  is  so.  So  that  your  success 
and  my  success  in  selling  a  thing  is  repeatable  unanimously.  You 
can  tell  the  other  fellow  how  you  did  it,  and  hear  how  he1  did  it. 
If  we  fail,  we  ought  to  study  the  failure.  In  science  we  study 
the  failure  just  as  sincerely  as  we  study  the  success.  There  is 
a  cause  for  failure.  Nothing  happens  without  a  cause.  Abso- 
lutely nothing  on  earth  happens,  or  in  heaven  or  hell,  without  a 
cause,  and  a  wise  man  sits  down  and  finds-  out  the  causes  of  this 
particular  failure  or  of  that  particular  success.  Failures  are  just 
as  important  in  science  as  successes. 

Now  let's  see  whether  it  is  classified  knowledge.  I  want 
to  give  you  the  classification  in  which  our  art  and  science  stands. 
The  world  is  doing  just  five  things.  Now,  that  simplifies  the 
work  of  the  world.  Every  man  is  doing,  if  he  is  creating  human 
happiness,  one  of  those  five  (unrolling  and  displaying  a  chart). 
And  the  purpose  of  everything  is  human  happiness.  Human  hap- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


127 


piness  is  the  highest  motive  we  can  work  for;  and  when  you  are 
selling  good  goods  to  a  customer  you  are  creating  happiness.  You 
are  doing  them  good.  Not  doing  them  good,  but  doing  them  good. 
(Laughter).  You  know  how  to  do  both,  if  you  want.  The  first 
is  production;  that  is  the  first  of  the  five.  There  are  more  dol- 
lars and  human  brains  invested  in  producing  things  than  all  the 
others  combined.  I  don't  know  what  Venus  and  Mars  are  doing, 
our  neighboring  planets,  but  I  do  know  that  the  earth  is  a  pro- 
ducing unit.  Next  comes  distribution,  distributing  the  products 
thus  made,  man  to  man,  city  to  city,  and  so  forth.  That  is  an 
enormous  part  of  business.  The  next  is  government,  then  edu- 
cation, and  then  religion,  arranged  in  the  order  of  business  con- 
venience, or  the  relative  amount  of  dollars  invested  in  each.  One 
city,  New  York,  leads  because  more  men  of  business  live  there. 
The  men  and  women  who  make  their  living  by  selling  their  edu- 
cational and  religious  ideas,  for  which  we  pay  them,  happen  to 
be  the  last  of  them  all. 

Now,  there  is  no  one  out  of  those  five.  If  there  is,  he  ought 
to  be  locked  up.  Why  ?  Because  he  tends  to  spread  human  misery 
by  the  thing  he  is  doing,  if  he  is  not  doing  one  of  those  five. 
Now,  I  can  name  some  things  not  included  there.  You  take  the 
thief.  He  is  not  producing  or  distributing  anything,  aiding  the 
conduct  of  government,  sowing  education  or  sowing  religion,  .  but 
he  is  spreading  human  misery,  and  that  is  the  reason  he  ought 
to  be  locked  up.  Does  the  thing  you  are  doing  create  human 
happiness,  or  human  misery?  If  it  tends  to  create  human  misery, 
you  are  wrong  and  abnormal  and  insane.  Every  man  who  wants 
to  create  human  misery  has  got  something  wrong  with  his  up- 
per  story,  or  wrong  with  his  heart.  Now,  the  gossip  —  what  is  she 
doing?  She  sees  Mr.  Smith  walk  down  the  street  with  Mrs. 
Jones  and  turn  the  corner  and  disappear,  and  says:  "There  is 
something  doing  now."  Merely  because  of  a  courtesy  to  a  lady 
friend  this  she-devil  says:  "Now,  look  at  that!"  She  is  insane. 
We  ought  to  have  the  spirit  of  the  boy  and  play  the  game  of  life 
lightly.  I  believe  we  ought  to  have  more  life,  even  when  we  are 
gray-haired.  I  like  to  flirt.  (Laughter).  God  Almighty  knows 
that,  and  you  might  as  well  know  it.  (Laughter).  I  like  to  flirt 
with  my  neighbor's  wife,  and  I  like  for  him  to  flirt  with  my  wife. 
If  she  wasn't  flirtable  I  would  not  think  she  was  worth  anything. 
But  he  must  not  flirt  too  long.  (Laughter).  Now,  why  did 
Mrs.  Thompson  say  that?  Because,  if  Mrs.  Thompson  was  in 


Nothing  Use- 
ful  Outside 


128 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Distribution 


Mrs.  Smith's  place  there  would  be  something  doing.  (Laughter). 
So  Mrs.  Thompson  hangs  her  soul  on  the  outside  of  her  skin 
when  she  talks  of  a  thing  like  that.  She  spreads  human  misery. 
And  many  a  man  in  great  positions  of  the  political  and  business 
world,  on  the  platform  and  in  other  walks  of  life,  has  been  damned 
by  just  that  insanity.  And  that  is  the  way  a  thing  spreads  that 
is  perfectly  insane.  There  are  only  five  things  that  produce  hap- 
piness, and  a  man  who  is  working  in  any  one  of  those  five  is  a 
servant  of  God  Almighty,  for  His  highest  purpose  is  human  hap- 
piness. 

Now,   here   is   what   our   work   lies   in — distribution.     Trans- 
portation has  a  little  to  do  with  that,  but  we  are  chiefly  concerned 
with  mechandising.     We  are  merchants.     The  salesman  is  a  mer- 
chant.    There  is   where   the  work  of  this   convention   comes   in ; 
_  and  it  has  these  various  elements  in  it  (indicating  upon  the  chart). 

\L  lie  OcllCS- 

man's  Work  Is  Now  then,  we  have  got  the  position  of  selling.  Let's  go  into  sell- 
ing. That  classification  does  not  depend  upon  my  opinion  or 
your  opinion.  That  is  absolutely  true,  and  will  be  true  millions 
of  years  from  now,  and  there  will  be  no  sixth  thing  ever  added 
to  it,  and  you  can't  drop  one  of  the  five.  You  see  now,  five  are 
there,  and  you  can't  think  of  a  sixth,  and  hence  it  is  a  perfect 
classification. 

Now  I  want  to  go  into  selling  and  see  what  classification 
we  have  there;  ami  we  lift  this  chart  (removing  the  first  chart 
and  exposing  a  second),  and  we  will  see,  as  there  are  five  nor- 
mal human  activities,  so  there  are  five  permanent,  necessary,  funda- 
mental, always-present  elements  in  salesmanship.  First,  there  must 
be  a  salesman,  and  then  there  must  be  a  customer.  Those  are  the 
two  human  elements,  the  salesman,  trying  to  persuade  the  cus- 
tomer to  think  as  he  does  about  his  merchandise  or  his  proposi- 
tion— one  mind  trying  to  persuade  and  convince  another  mind 
to  think  and  feel  as  the  originating  mind  does  about  the  goods. 
Then  we  come  to  two  things — the  goods  and  the  money.  First, 
there  must  be  two  things ;  the  two  human  beings,  two  minds,  in- 
dividual or  composite,  but  two  minds,  one  leading  and  the  other 
led;  and  of  these  two  things  (the  money  and  the  goods),  the  cus- 
tomer must  have  this  thing  and  the  salesman  must  have  this  thing ; 
and  when  these  two  things  change  hands  to  the  satisfaction  of 
both,  then  only  do  you  have  a  business  result.  If  it  is  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  the  customer  and  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  sales- 
man, the  salesman  can't  stay  in  business;  and  if  it  is  to  the  sat- 


An  Analysis 
of  Selling 


SELLING     LUMBER 


129 


isfaction  of  the  salesman  and  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  customer, 
the  customer  can't  stay  in  business  either;  but  when  it  is  to  the 
satisfaction  of  both,  you  have  business  construction,  or  the  sale. 
Now  that  is  all.  Any  experience  that  any  salesman  ever  had  is 
not  peculiar.  There  is  no  peculiar  work  under  the  sun.  Tesla's 
work  is  not  peculiar,  my  work  is  not  peculiar,  neither  was  Spen- 
cer's work  peculiar.  It  is  bound  to  be  classified  there.  You  will 
find  that  within  the  professions  which  are  supposed  to  be  so  far 
remote  from  the  business  world  that  they  feel  that  they  are  not 
business  people,  why,  that  they  actually  cater  to  those  elements 
right  along,  and  they  can't  escape  it.  And  goodness  alive!  If 
many  a  minister  and  lawyer,  doctor  and  artist  would  study  sales- 
manship, the  minister  would  be  a  better  fisher  of  souls,  the  law- 
yer a  better  pleader  for  justice,  the  artist  a  better  salesman  of 
his  creative  work.  You  have  those  five — the  salesman,  the  cus- 
tomer, the  goods,  the  money  and  the  sale.  Now,  those  will  be 
there.  The  doctor  is  a  salesman.  He  is  selling  to  the  sick  per- 
son ;  that  is  the  doctor's  customer.  What  does  he  sell  ?  Medicine, 
treatment.  What  does  he  sell  it  for?  Money.  And  the  engage- 
ment is  simply  the  customer's  agreement  to  buy  the  goods  the  dor- 
tor  displays  there.  And  take  the  lawyer.  His  customer  is  called 
a  client.  He  sells  the  law,  or  his  knowledge  about  the  law ;  that 
is  his  goods.  He  sells  it  for  money;  and  the  engagement  is  the 
agreement,  or  the  sale;  and  he  has  got  to  persuade  his  client  that 
he  has  the  goods,  knowledge  of  the  law,  or  the  client  will  never 
buy  from  him.  You  take  the  minister,  that  seems  to  be  so  far 
removed  from  our  work,  gentlemen,  and  he  is  a  salesman.  His 
custo-ner  is  the  sinner,  or  the  heathen.  What  is  he  selling?  The 
Bible,  the  church  and  religion ;  that  is  what  he  sells— and  repent- 
ance and  faith ;  and  it  is  supposed  to  be  free,  but  after  they  get 
in  they  pay  money  to  stay  in;  and  the  sale  is  called  conversion, 
where  the  customer  agrees  to  the  proposition  about  the  church, 
the  Bible  or  religion  that  this  man  makes.  And  so  you  find  that 
these  five  elements  are  absolutely  essential,  and  you  can't  get  along 
without  any  one  of  them. 

For  instance,  did  you  ever  have,  can  you  have  a  salesman, 
the  goods,  the  money  and  the  sale  without  the  customer?  Cer- 
tainly not.  Can  you  have  the  customer,  the  goods,  the  money 
and  the  sale  without  the  salesman?  Certainly  not.  It  is  impossi- 
ble. Can  you  have  the  salesman,  the  customer,  the  goods  and  the 
sale  without  the  money,  or  its  equivalent?  Not  today.  Did  you 


All  Voca- 
tions Are 
"In  Business" 


The  Minister 
a  Salesman, 
Too 


The  Five 
Elements 
of  a  Sale 


130  SELLINGLUMBER 

ever  have  the  customer,  the  salesman,  the  goods  and  the  money 
without  the  sale?  (Laughter).  Well  now,  Gentlemen  of  this 
professional  and  technical  convention,  why  is  that?  Now  let  me 
show  you  just  one  or  two  reasons.  Certainly  it  is  not  the  cus- 
tomer's fault,  because  it  does  not  matter  what  the  type  and  what 
the  temperament  and  what  the  mood  and  what  the  environment 
now  of  your  customer  is,  when  you  have  studied  those  four — 
that  is,  all  four  things — you  have  got  your  man.  I  repeat  it  again 
—it  does  not  matter  what  the  type,  what  the  temperament,  what 
the  mood  and  what  the  present  environment  of  your  customer 
is,  when  you  have  studied  those  four  things  you  have  got  your 
man.  The  salesman  ought  never  to  be  taken  by  surprise.  He 
should  always  have  a  front  or  flank  movement  to  meet  the  oppo- 
sition of  his  enemy.  In  other  words,  he  ought  to  manage  that 
element.  The  goods  remain  about  the  same,  and  so  does  the 
money.  The  fault  must  be  with  the  fellow  that  manages  these 
elements  to  produce  the  sale.  He  must  handle  them  wrongly 
somewhere  along  the  line,  or  else  something  would  be  done ;  a  part 
sale  would  be  made,  if  not  a  full  sale,  or  an  order  for  the  future. 
I  believe  in  selling  the  man  for  next  year,  if  you  can't  sell  him 
now.  So  those  are  the  five,  and  you  can't  think  of  the  sixth.  I 
challenge  you  gentlemen  to  name  any  sixth  element  in  salesman- 
ship that  is  not  included  in  the  salesman,  the  customer,  the  goods, 
the  money  or  the  sale. 

Now,  if  you  study  those  five  elements,  surely  you  can  see 
what  a  science  we  have.  Let's  just  look  at  the  salesman  a  bit. 
His  value.  How  do  you  get  his  value?  The  unit,  that  is,  you 
and  I,  divided  by  the  supervision  we  need.  The  more  I1  have  to 
be  watched  in  the  thing  you  have  me  to  do,  the  less  value  I  am. 
As  this  supervision  increases,  the  value  of  the  fraction  decreases. 
If  a  hundred  times  I  have  to  be  checked  up,  my  value  fails.  Where 
Getting  the  ^oes  ^e  suPervision  come  from?  1  can't  go  into  that.  But  we 
Salesman's  come  down  to  the  faculties  we  should  find  in  the  salesman.  Here 
are  the  constructive  ones — I  rather  like  to  call  them  that — and 
here  are  the  rather  destructive  (indicating  on  the  chart).  Health! 
A  man  diseased — what  can  he  sell?  The  fellow  that  can  vocalize 
his  mind,  the  man  of  good  judgment,  the  man  of  tact!  Tact  is' 
a  great  thing,  wonderfully  constructive  in  salesmanship.  A  man 
in  New  York  has  written  a  book  on  salesmanship,  and  it  is  all 
tact.  He  says  it  is  simply  tact.  Well,  it  is  more  than  that;  but 
tact  is  a  great  thing.  What  is  tact?  I  have  read  his  book,  and 


SELLING   LUMBER 


131 


I  can't  tell  what  tact  is ;  now  I  can't  tell.  I  have  often  asked  fel- 
low salesmen,  when  we  would  be  smoking  cigars  together  in  the 
sleeping  cars ;  I  ask :  What  is  tact  ?  This  is  what  they  usually 
say:  Tact  is  diplomacy;  and  they  jump  from  the  tip  of  that  word 
to  the  tip  of  this  (illustrating  upon  his  spreaded  fingers).  I  say, 
all  right ;  but  they  haven't  got  anywhere ;  and  I  say :  What  is 
diplomacy?  And  they  say  diplomacy  is  shrewdness.  I  say:  What 
is  shrewdness  ?  And  they  say  shrewdness  is  tact,  and  they  get 
right  back  whence  they  started  from.  Many  times  a  bright  man 
thinks  he  is  defining  a  thing  by  merely  putting  another  word  in 
its  place.  DC  finis  is  to  define  the  parts.  What  are  the  parts  of 
tact?  Then  you  will  see  what  it  is.  It  is  four  rights 
in  a  row.  If  you  say  the  right  thing  to  the  right  person  at  the 
right  time  in  the  right  way,  that  is  tact.  But  if  you  say  the  right 
thing  to  the  right  person  at  the  right  time  in  the  wrong  way,  that 
spoils  it.  If  you  say  the  right  thing  to  the  right  person  in  the 
right  way  at  the  wrong  time,  that  spoils  it,  or  if  you  say  the  right 
thing  to  the  wrong  person  in  the  right  way  at  the  right  time,  that 
spoils  it,  too ;  and  if  you  say  the  wrong  thing  to  the  right  per- 
son at  the  right  time  and  in  the  right  way,  that  spoils  the  whole 
business.  But  if  you  do  say  the  right  thing  to  the  right  person 
at  the  right  time  in  the  right  way,  believe  me,  something  will 
move  in  your  direction. 

Thompson  got  married,  and  Smith  sent  him  a  wedding  pres- 
ent; and  two  weeks  afterward  Smith  meets  Jones  and  says: 

"Jones,  do  you  know,  Thompson  don't  speak  to  me?" 

He  says :    "Yes,  I  don't  understand  it." 

Jones  said:     "Did  you  send  Thompson  a  wedding  present?" 

Smith  says :     "Yes,  I  did ;  a  fine,  vellum-bound  book." 

"What  book  did  you  send  him?" 

"Paradise  Lost."      (Laughter). 

Now  that  is  where  you  say  the  right  thing1  to  the  right  per- 
son in  the  right  way,  but  at  the  wrong  time. 

Now,  you  take  indigestion,  for  instance.  Suppose  a  sales- 
man has  indigestion.  Now  he  is  liable  to  be  irritable  over  little 
things,  and  say  little  stabs  unconsciously;  and  suppose  the  cus- 
tomer has  indigestion,  too.  Then  there  is  nothing  doing.  You 
might  as  well  both  go  to  the  doctor  and  quit  for  awhile  until  you 
are  feeling-  a  little  better.  So  you  see  you  can  go  into  the  sales- 
man with  considerable  depth. 


The  Elusive 
Definition 
of  Tact 


The  Right 
Thing  at  the 
Wrong  Time 


132 


SELLING     LUMBER 


What  a  School 
of  Salesman- 
ship Should 
Do 


No  Book  Tells 
the  Story 
of  Lumber 


The  Goods 
the  Essential 
Thing  in 
Salesmanship 


! 


Now,  what  should  a  school  of  salesmanship  do?  If  a  man 
is  short  on  memory,  then  we  should  give  him  exercises  to 
strengthen  his  memory.  If  he  is  short  on  imagination,  get  the 
imagination  limbered  up  through  playing  with  the  babies — and 
I  say  to  you  retail  dealers,  and  to  the  wholesalers  and  salesmen, 
so  that  you  can  get  it  across  to  the  man  that  you  instruct,  that 
women  are  going  to  be  more  and  more  customers  of  the  retail 
dealer.  We  are  not  going  to  have  lumber  yards ;  we  are  going 
to  have  lumber  stores,  and  the  women  will  come  in  there  and 
see  lumber  in  a  way  she  never  saw  before. 

Then  I  might  take  up  the  goods;  and  what  an  enormous 
field  that  is !  I  have  written  thirty-two  textbooks  on  merchan- 
dise. I  have  written  one  on  shoes,  for  instance,  and  that  book 
contains  all  the  points  known  about  shoes.  What  is  known  can 
be  found  out  by  research;  and  the  man  that  goes  through  that 
book  from  cover  to  cover,  600  pages,  he  has  obtained  the  sum- 
total  of  human  knowledge  up  to  date  on  shoes,  and  he  knows 
his  goods  and  becomes  enthusiastic  on  them.  I  don't  know  one 
book  that  contains  the  story  of  lumber.  The  story  of  lumber 
is  a  marvelous  story,  stretching  down  through  history,  connected 
with  the  palaces  of  the  powerful  as  well  as  the  hovels  of  the  poor ; 
and  the  story  of  lumber,  if  that  were  written  as  it  might  be,  with 
illustrations,  would  be  one  of  the  most  interesting  of 'books.  I 
have  books  in  my  library  on  the  various  woods ;  yes,  and  it  is 
exceedingly  interesting;  and  the  beauty  and  utility  of  these  things 
is  something  I  could  become  enthusiastic  over.  I  would  like  to 
have  time  to  write  such  a  book  as  that.  I  love  lumber  as  it  stands 
in  the  forest  primeval,  and  after  the  work  of  art  of  some  genius 
puts  it  where  it  ought  to  be  put,  to  fit  in  with  some  things  to 
produce  the  unity  from  which  we  live.  It  is  great  to  have  some- 
thing to  become  enthusiastic  over.  It  is  marvelous  to  me  that 
salesmen  who  live  by  selling  anything  don't  see  that  the  essen- 
tial thing  in  salesmanship  is  not  the  salesman,  neither  is  it  the 
customer,  but  it  is  the  goods.  It  is  the  goods  that  we  talk  about; 
and  if  the  salesman  could  stick  himself  out  of  sight,  and  make 
the  customer  see  the  goods,  he  is  the  finest  of  salesmen,  just  as 
the  preacher  in  the  pulpit,  if  he  holds  up  the  cross  and  makes  his 
listeners  forget  the  preachers,  they  say  he  is  a  fine  preacher. 
He  hides  himself  behind  the  goods.  I  know  a  girl  up  here  at 
Galesburg  who  became  enthusiastic  over  a  can  of  beans.  One 
day  a  man,  well  dressed  and  prosperous  looking,  came  in  and  asked 


SELLING     LUMBER 


133 


for  a  can  of  beans.  If  she  had  known  what  we  know  when  we 
study  type,  she  would  have  handed  him  out  the  highest  and  best 
brand  she  had.  But  she  pulled  out  a  10-cent  can  of  beans.  He 
said:  "Is  that  the  best  you*  have?"  She  said:  "No,  we  have  a 
can  for  15  cents."  He  asked:  "Is  that  the  best  you  have?"  And 
she  said:  "No,  we  have  ay  can  for  20  cents."  He  said:  "They 
are  the  same  size,  made  by  the  same  firm.  What  is  the  differ- 
ence in  these  three  cans  ?"  She  said :  "I  really  don't  know.  We 
haven't  used  the  15  and  20-cent  cans,  but  only  the  10-cent."  And 
of  course  he  bought  the  10-cent  variety1  and  left.  And  the  man- 
ager overheard  it,  and  came  over  to  Nellie  and  said:  "If  you  don't  A  Lesson 

...  .    m  Beans 

know  the  difference,  I  will  show  you  now.       And  they  opened 

the  three  cans  and  found  that  the  10-cent  can  was  full  of  beans, 
but  they  were  small  and  hard;  the  15-cent  can  was  full  of  beans, 
and  they  were  larger  and  better  looking;  and  the  20-cent  can  was 
full  of  fat,  tender  beans.  She  made  a  board  covered  with  blue 
plush,  and  she  made  little  pockets  in  there  and  put  these  fat  beans 
in  there ;  and  she  would  talk  about  how  fat  and  buttery  they  were ; 
how  you  could  feel  them  sliding  down  your  throat,  and  you  could 
see  her  sales  mount  up.  Why?  Because  she  got  to  the  center 
of  things. 

But,  my  friends,  I  want  to  take  up  the  customer.  Adver- 
tising is  practically  on  the  level  today.  One  man  advertises  pretty 
nearly  as  good  as  another;  there  is  very  little  difference  about 
it.  But  I  want  to  tell  you  now  where  the  difference  is.  It  is  in 
the  customer.  In  your  experience  you  have  found  that  you  can't 
sell  Jones  the  way  you  sell  Smith.  You  are  the  same,  the  goods 
are  the  same,  the  system  is  the  same;  what  is  the  difference? 
The  customer.  The  customer  is  this  variable  element  that  makes 
one  sale  differ  from  another  sale  in  glory.  What  makes  the  dif-  The  problem 

ference?     Why,  the  difference  in  the  customer  and  his  environ-    of  the 

J  .11  i    •  Customer 

ment.     Now,  you  and  I  are  dealing  with  one  human  being — say 

three  in  the  party.  If  we  can  get  a  line  on  this  man,  the  line  of 
least  resistance  to  his  mind  and  heart,  we  will  get  in  there  quicker 
than  the  fellow  that  goes  along  any  old  road  to  get  into  those  cita- 
dels and  capture  them.  This  thing  of  reading  human  nature  is 
an  old  aft,  but  it  has  been  a  false  art  up  to  today.  It  seemed 
to  be  so  easy  to  get  a  line  on  the  other  fellow  that  the  ancients 
resorted  to  many  ingenious  methods  to  read  human  nature,  but 
of  all  things  it  is  the  hardest  to  read.  Men  talked  of  phrenology 
—the  contour  of  the  bumps  of  the  brain— that  they  could  by 


134  SELLINGLUMBER 

those  things  get  a  line  on  what  kind  of  dope  was  inside  of  there. 
But  phrenology  doesn't  amount  to  a  hill  of  beans.  You  will  waste 
time  in  studying  any  phrenology.  Miss  Fowler,  a  daughter  of  the 
great  scientist,  came  over  to  Philadelphia.  She  is  probably  the 
greatest  living  phrenologist.  I  borrowed  a  straw  hat  from  a  por- 
ter, parted  my  hair  and  plastered  it  down  on  my  head.  She  had 
six  or  eight  up  there,  and  finally  got  around  to  me.  Now,  I  have 
a  gutter  right  there  in  my  head  (indicating).  She' said:  "This 
gentleman  has  a  poor  memory."  Memory  is  supposed  to  be  lo- 
cated right  in  there  (indicating)  ;  and  I  had  a  poor  memory. 
Why,  my  friends,  I  am  long  on  memory.  William  James  of  Har- 
vard said  my  memory  was  monstrous.  Albert  Gates  said  there 
was  something  superlative  about  it.  Once  in  a  trip  through  Illi- 
nois I  was  asked  for  a  list  of  my  lectures,  and  I  wrote  them  down, 
'and  I  found  I  had  forty-seven;  and  I  haven't  a  note.  I  can  talk 
Phrenology  for  a  mOnth,  day  and  night,  without  stopping  and  without  look- 
"Science"  mg  at  anything  (laughter)  ;  and  she  said  I  had  a  poor  memory. 
Then  she  got  up  here  (indicating)  and  examined  that  awhile; 
and  there  is  another  gutter  right  in  there ;  and  she  said :  "This 
gentleman  has  little  faith  and  little  spirituality."  If  she  meant 
faith'  in  my  fellow  human  beings,  she  was  wrong  there,  because 
three  times  in  my  life  I  have  lost  everything  I  had,  and  I  think 
that  is  going  some.  (Laughter).  And  if  she  means  that  I  don't 
believe  in  God  Almighty,  she  was  off,  because  I  do.  I  am  sim- 
ply an  orthodox  believer,  and  I  believe  those  things.  Phrenology 
won't  do.  But  listen :  Even  if  phrenology  were  scientific,  it  would 
be  taught  in  the  university  here,  and  in  Philadelphia  and  every- 
where; but  there  is  not  a  chair  in  all  the  world  that  is  teaching 
phrenology.  Don't  you  suppose  that  ought  to  damn  it?  And  even 
if  it  were  scientific  it  would  not  help  us  in  salesmanship.  Why? 
Do  you  suppose  a  customer  would  allow  us  to  manipulate  his 
head?  (Laughter). 

And  then   they   refer  us  to   physiognomy,   to  give  us   a  line 

on  the  other  fellow.     Now  that  is  the  face.     They  say  you  have 

got  to  begin  with  the  nose,  and  the  length  and  breadth  and  depth 

No  Time  for    of  this  here   (indicating)   will  give  you  the  first  line;  but  that  is 

Anaf^is          modified,  they  say,  by  the  other   features   of  the   face,   and  then 

you  must  go  down  and  see  what  the  lips  have  to  say  and  from 

there  to  the  chin  and  then  to  the  jaws,  and  that  will  modify  your 

judgment;   and   then  begin   again   with   the  eyes   and  go   back  to 


SELLING     LUMBER 


135 


the  ears  and  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  head,  and  then  size 
up  your  man.  Why,  by  that  time  he  would  be  gone. 

Now,  my  friends,  when  I  first  met  Judge  Chetlain  of  the 
Cook  County  Court  his  forehead  fell  right  back  from  his  eyes, 
and  I  said  to  a  friend:  "Who  is  that  escaped  lunatic  over  there?" 
He  said:  "Who  is  that  escaped  lunatic?  That  is  Judge  Chet- 
lain." And  I  had  a  half  hour's  talk  with  him  and  found  he  was 
perfectly  human.  Therefore,  if  you  had  read  him  by  phrenology 
or  physiognomy  you  would  have  gone  away  off.  You,  by  sit- 
ting down  there  can't  tell  one  single  item  of  what  I  am,  what  I 
can  do  or  what  I  know,  by  the  size  of  my  nose.  God  help  some 
men  if  a  big  nose  means  strong  character.  There  is  nothing  in 
it.  The  moving  face?  Oh!  That  is  different.  When  I  look 
this  way  (illustrating)  you  know  I  am  pleased,  and  when  I  look 
this  way  (illustrating),  look  out.  But  you  can't  tell  that  from 
the  size  of  my  nose. 

Then  they  talk  of  palmistry — the  length  and  depth  and  re- 
lation of  the  lines  of  the  hand.  By  these  they  will  show  you  the 
character  of  the  man,  his  merits  and  his  failings  and  his  virtues 
and  his  faults.  But  palmistry  is  absolutely  a  pseudo  science.  It 
is  50  per  cent  guesswork;  it  is  not  scientific.  But  suppose  it  were 
scientific.  If  k  were  scientific  it  would  be  taught  in  all  the  uni- 
versities of  the  world,  but  it  is  not  taught  anywhere;  so  it  has 
been  damned  as  unscientific,  and  I  am  surprised  that  anybody 
would  believe  it  would  be  of  any  help  in  sizing  up  the  character 
of  any  fellow.  But,  even  if  it  were  true,  do  you  suppose  the 
customer  would  allow  you  to  monkey  with  his  palm — coming  in 
to  sell  him  lumber,  and  asking  him  for  his  hand?  And  suppose 
you  were  dickering  with  a  woman?  (Laughter). 

And  astrology.  Oh,  yes!  Give  me  the  year  and  day  and 
month  and  hour  of  your  birth  and  I  will  calculate  your  horoscope 
and  tell  you  what  kind  of  man  you  are.  But;  astrology  has  been 
upset  in  a  thousand  forms  by  astronomy.  It  is  psuedo;  nothing 
to  it  at  all.  But  suppose  it  were  true?  Would  your  customer  give 
you  the  year  and  month  and  day  and  hour  of  his  birth,  and  then 
you  run  to  your  book  on  horoscopes,  and  then  come  back  and  deal 
with  him?  No,  no.  And  what  woman  would  give  you  her  age? 
(Laughter). 

I  want  to  say  to  you  now  that  there  is  no  science  as  yet  rec- 
ognized by  a  scientific  body— and  I  belong  to  a  dozen  of  them— 


Expression, 
Not  Physiog- 
nomy, Counts 


Palmistry 
Involves 
'^Holding 
Hands" 


Some  Draw- 
backs of 
Astrology 


136 


SELLING     LUMBER 


A  Real  Start 
in  Science 


recognized  by  the  national  or  international  scientific  bodies  as 
final,  or  really  as  a  start.  Well,  there  has  been  a  start,  and  I 
want  to  give  you  that  start.  The  fact  is,  I  am  working  with 
you.  We  have  some  matters  that  I  want  to  lay  before  you  now, 
and  ask  you  whether  you  have  found  these  to  be  true. 

Now  then,  I  take  it  that  if  I  want  to  influence  a  man  my 
way,  and  I  have  him  alone,  talking  to  him  alone — I  don't  care 
how  many  people  hear  me — but  if  I  am  talking  with  him  alone, 
I  always  begin  with  the  known,  and  work  to  the  unknown.  I 
go  from  the  near  to  the  remote.  That  is  the  inductive  method 
of  science;  that  is  the  method  that  all  science  works  upon  today. 
Why  shouldn't  we  work  upon  the  same  principle?  So  I  begin, 
first,  with  the  clothes,  and  in  a  second  you  can  size  up  the  man ; 
and  what  you  look  to  is  whether  he  is  dressed  peculiarly,  in  some 
way  different  from  the  average  man  of  that  section  or  of  that 
age,  the  men  living  around  him.  If  he  is,  that  peculiar  thing  is 
your  cue  by  which  you  will  quickly  get  into  his  confidence  and 
into  his  good  graces,  by  which  he  will  like  you  and  have  confi- 
dence in  your  judgment. 

Now  I  will  give  you  some  illustrations.  If  a  man  is  dressed 
ordinarily,  just  as  the  rest  of  us,  you  have  to  approach'  him  ac- 
cordingly. Then  I  would  approach  him  just  as  I  would  want 
him  to  approach  me,  in  a  common  sense,  level  headed  way.  But 
let  me  give  you  an  illustration.  Up  in  Ohio  in  a  certain  town 
they  had  eighteen  salesmen,  and  every  Saturday  afternoon  we 
met  for  a  campaign  in  salesmanship.  They  had  eighteen  sales- 
men; and  as  they  came  in  I  sized  them  up  to  see  if  I  saw  any 
peculiar  type;  and  they  came  in  all  dressed  as  every  other  busi- 
ness man,  except  one  man,  and  I  saw  that  his  coat  had  four  but- 
Man7s Charac-  tons  instead1  of  three;  he  had  a  standing  collar,  instead  of  a  lay- 
ter  By  His  down  collar,  although  he  had  just  come  in  from  the  road.  He 
had  the  sweetest  little  cravat  tucked  away  there  snugly,  and  as 
white  as  the  driven  snow ;  and  I  saw  he  was  dressed  spick  and 
span.  I  knew  there  was  a  stickler  for  details,  a  splitter  of  hairs, 
a  man  that  would  make  a  mountain  out  of  a  molehill,  or  an  ele- 
phant out  of  a  mouse.  Well,  I  started  in.  I  said :  "Gentlemen, 
if  there  is  any  statement  I  make  you  don't  like,  just  get  up  and 
shake  your  finger  at  me.  I  am  a  tough  skinned  man."  And  this 
man  was  the  first  up.  I  expected  him  to  be  the  first  up.  He 
said :  "Doctor,  may  I  ask  a  question  ?"  I  said :  "Certainly." 
He  said:  "Do  you  mean,  when  workingf  our  second  orders  from 


Reading  a 


SELLING     LUMBER 


137 


customers  we  should  ask  them  if  they  were  satisfied  with  the 
order  they  gave  us  before?"  I  said:  "Certainly;  I  would  do 
that."  He  said :  "I  would  not.  You  just  give  them  a  chance 
to  complain."  I  said:  "If  they  don't  complain  to  your  face  they 
will  to  your  firm  or  to  your  competitors.  I  would  very  much 
rather  have  the  customer  come  to  me  and  tell  me  what  the  trou- 
ble was  then  to/make  complaints  to  my  firm  or  to  my  competi- 
tors." The  man  was  content;  and  I  went  on  for  eighteen  or  twen- 
ty minutes,  and  he  got  up  again,  and  he  said:  "May  I  ask  you  a 
question?"  I  said  "Certainly,"  and  he  came  with  that  same  old 
question.  I  felt  I  ought  to  wipe  the  floor  up  with  him,  and  I 
just  called  him — told  him  what  his  character  was — and  he  was 
that  kind  of  man.  He  chose  that  thing.  You  could  tell  the  state 
of  mind  he  was  in  by  the  sign  he  left  on  the  outside. 

I  went  to  East  Aurora  to  lecture  for  Elbert  Hubbard.  He 
came  down  to  the  station  to  meet  ,me.  He  said :  "I  am  glad  you 
are  here.  We  need  some  instruction  in  salesmanship."  I  said: 
"I  am  glad  to  be  here.  You  are  different  from  the  rest  of  us. 
You  are  hunting  right  ideas.  Do  you  know  how  I  can  tell  you 
are  different  from  the  rest  of  us?"  He  said:  "From  my  writ- 
ings?" I  said:  "No,  not  from  your  writings,  but  from  your  in- 
describable necktie  and  the  way  you  wear  your  hair."  He  said: 
"Come  up  and  dig  yourself  out  of  the  dirt  you  are  in  and  I  will 
see  what  kind  of  a  chap  you  are." 

But  I  wasn't  flattering  him.  I  was  telling  him  the  truth. 
A  man  who  dresses  like  he  does  wants  to  be  different  from  the 
rest.  And  it  wasn't  flattery,  it  wasn't  praise,  it  wasn't  criticism. 
I  was  simply  stating  a  fact,  and  he  was  proud  of  it.  I  was  ap- 
proaching my  man  and  getting  his  confidence  in  the  first  crack 
out  of  the  box. 

Why,  you  can  get  something  by  the  way  a  man  wears  his 
hat  when  you  approach  him  (placing  a  straw  hat  level  on  his 
head).  If  a  man  wears  his  hat  like  that,  on  a  level,  you  can  take 
it  for  granted  that  he  is  a  level  headed,  ordinary  man  of  common 
sense,  like  you  and  I  are.  That  man  I  would  approach  with  a 
straight  business  proposition  and  get  it  across  as  soon  as  I  can 
so  that  in  his  common  sense  he,  can  sit  in  judgment  upon  it.  If 
a  man  wears  his  hat  like  that  (illustrating,  on  the  back  of  his 
head),  he  is  a  heart  man;  he  is  a  man  of  heart,  and  approach- 
able. "Walk  in,  ladies;  walk  right  up!"  He  is  a  heart  man. 
And  I  would  go  up  to  him  and,  slap  him  on  the  back.  That  is 


Sizing  Up 

Elbert 

Hubbard 


Significance 
in  the  Angle 
of  a  Hat 


138  SELLINGLUMBER 

the  sign  of  a  hale  fellow  well  met.  I  would  go  up  and  slap  him  on 
the  back  and  say:  "I  am  mighty  glad  to  see  you,  because  I  have 
got  a  fine  proposition/'  and  be  cordial  with  him.  You  can  be  as 
close  as  you  want  to.  But  suppose  a  man  years  his*  hat  like  that 
(illustrating,  pulled  forward  over  his  forehead).  Don't  you  slap 
that  fellow  on  the  back!  (Laughter).  You  will  probably  get  a 
punch  in  the  nose  if  you  do.  That  is  the  man  that  is  living  in 
the  shadows;  that  is,  he  likes  to  be  unseen,  and  watch  us.  He 
likes  to  get  a  line  on  the  rest  of  us.  He  is  a  cautious  man.  He 
is  cautious.  And  if  I  were  to  approach  that  fellow  the  first  thing 
I  would  say  would  be  this:  "Mr.  Jamison,  being  a  prudent  man 
and  a  man  of  foresight,  I  am  flattered  to  make  the  proposition 
I  have  right  here  now  to  you,  because  I  have  such  a  fine  propo- 
sition I  know  you,  will  recognize  it.  Now  then,  let's  read  it  and 
sign  it  up."  He  feels  that  he  is  recognized  and  appreciated.  He 
thinks  that  you  are  a  man  of  good  judgment — and  you  are.  He 
No  Rules  for  tn^n^s  y°u  understand  him,  because  he  understands  himself — and 
Handling  a  you  do.  And  therefore  his  confidence  goes  out,  the  very  first 
thing  you  say,  and  you  are  ready  for  the  next  propisition.  Now 
suppose  a  man  wears  his  hat  like  that  (illustrating,  on  the  side 
of  his  head).  It  doesn't  matter  which  side.  That  is  a  dude;  and 
God  only  knows  how  to  handle  a  dude.  But  if  your  customer 
wears  his  hat  like  that,  he  needs  a  little  flattery.  He  thinks  he 
is  just  it.  Hte  can  mash  any  woman  on  the  front  street  he  lays 
his  eyes  on.  And  so  I  would  say:  "Mr.  Jamison,  for  a  man  of 
your  type,  you  want  this  quality  of  lumber,  not  that.  .  You  want 
this  part  of  my  proposition,  not  that,"  and  get  him  right  up  to 
feeling  big,  as  he  wants  to  feel.  I  have  to  judges  of  the  customer 
as  he  is,  instead  of  trying  to  make  him  what  I  think  he  ought 
to  be.  Take  him  just  as  he  is.  So  there  are  three  or  four  dif- 
ferent approaches.  The  first  crack  out  of  the  box  is  the  approach, 
and  the  salesman  must  make  the  approach.  If  the  customer  does, 
then,  of  course,  you  are  off  on  the  question  the  customer  asks, 
and  haven't  time  to  make  your  own  approach,  but  can  make  it 
later. 

But  now  we  go  a  little  deeper,  and  I  will  show  you  a  line 

on  how  to  handle  your  man.     The  tones  of  voice.     Now  when 

Reading  the    it  comes  to  the  tones  of  voice,  you  have  one  of  the  secrets  of 

Voice8  °f         mm<i   reading.      Some  people,   when  they  hear  me  talk  to   them 

confidentially,  surprise  me.     They  say:     "You  are  feeling  so-and 

so" — and  it  is  true.     The  way  I  was  feeling  when  I  said  those 


SELLINGLUMBER  139 

words  didn't  seem  to  fit  the  words,  but  they  were  telling  me  how 
I,  felt.  In  other  words,  they  were  reading  my  heart.  How  is  it 
done?  By  emphasis.  Now  I  would  like  you  gentlemen,  in  your 
homes,  in  your  club,  in  your  social  circles,  to  train  your  ear  to 
hear  emphasis,  and  when  you  hear  it,  begin  to  practice.  Say 
"Bill,  you  said  so-and-so,  but  'you  feel  this  way,"  and  tell  Bill, 
your  private  friend,  how  he  feeh,  and  you  will  be  surprised  how 
near  you  will  hit  it  by  the  w7ay  Bill  emphasizes  his  words;  for 
emphasis  goes  where  the  feeling  is  hottest.  For  instance,  I  al-j 
ways  give  a  man  three  chances  to  buy.  Of.  course,  if  he  buys  the 
first  time  he  doesn't  get  the  second  or  third.  If  he  fails  the  first, 
I  give  him  a  second  or  a  third.  Suppose  I  give  him  my  first  sell- 
ing talk.  I  quit.  I  come  to  the  silent  moment  in  salesmanship, 
because  I  want  to  see  how  Jamison  feels  before  I  take  my  sec- 
ond step.  It  may  be  a  line  or  two,  or  a  paragraph.  I  quit.  Now, 
he  has  got  to  do  something,  or  say  something.  Now  suppose  he 
says  it  this  way :  "Your  proposition  sounds  good,  my  friend." 
Now,  is  he  ready  to  buy?  Is  he  ready  to  put  his  name  on  the 
dotted  line?  No,  sir,  no,  sir.  He  is  a  thousand  miles  off  from  Learningvc 
the  selling  point.  Do  you  see,  the  emphasis  is  in  the  crest  of  Interpret 
that  curve;  it  is  on  the  word  "proposition."  "Your  proposition  Emphasis 

sounds "     Now,   the  words   sound   as  though  he   is   ready  to 

buy;  but  the  feeling?  What  is  his  feeling?  He  feels  that  I  have 
another  proposition;  that  if  he  hangs  on  long  enough  I  will  make 
it  to  him ;  I  will  reduce  the  price,  or  I  will  throw  'in  something. 
In  other  words,  he  feels  that  he  has  not  got  my  rock  bottom  yet, 
and  that  other  proposition  is  in  his  mind  when  he  emphasizes  the 
word  "proposition."  Now  how  would  I  answer  that?  I  would 
not  answer  his  words ;  I  would  answer  his  feeling.  I  would  say : 
"Mr.  Jamison,  this  is  the  only  proposition  I  have,  because  I  can't 
modify  it  in  the  least.  Lam  giving  you  the  highest  value  for 
the  money  that  it  is  possible  to  give  today."  Now,  that  will  answer 
his  objection,  but  not  answer  his  words.  He  says  to  me:  "Your 
proposition  sounds  good,  Mr.  Krebs,"  and  I  come  back:  "This 
is  the  only  proposition  we  have;  the  finest  we  can  get  up  today." 
And  then  you  quit  that  question  which  you  have  both  solved, 
for  you  are  getting  together.  But  suppose  he  says :  "Your  propo- 
sition sounds  good,  Mr.  Krebs,"  with  the  emphasis  on  "sounds," 
and  I  catch  it.  I  am  watching  the  next  move  of  my  enemy. 
Now  is  he  ready  to  buy?  No,  no.  What  is  his  feeling?  His 
words  indicate  he  is.  Why,  he  feels  that  it  only  sounds  good: 


140  SELLINGLUMBER 

that  I  have  been  giving  him  hot  air;  that  the  reality  is  something 
different  from  what  I  said  it  is.  In  other  words,  that  I  haven't 
told  him  the  exact  truth.  I  come  back  and  say:  "Mr.  Jamison, 
what  I  have  said  I  won't  take  back.  I  have  not  overrated,  and 
I  don't  think  I  have  underrated  this  proposition.  It  is  just  as 
real  as  words  can  describe  reality."  Then  I  have  answered  his 
feeling.  But  suppose  he  says:  "Your  proposition  sounds  good, 
Sign  Here"  Mr.  Krebs."  I  say,  "All  right.  Just  put  your  name  on  the  dotted 
line."  (Laughter).  In  other  words,  you  know  when  you  are 
at  the  psychological  moment,  and  what  to  do  when  the  psychologi- 
cal moment  comes.  Now  it  doesn't  matter  how  big  a  nose  Jami- 
son has  got,  what  the  color  of  his  eyes,  or  how  he  parts  his  hair. 
You  have  the  clew  that  he  himself  gives  you,  and  you  are  sim- 
ply, like  an  artist,  taking  advantage  of  it. 

But  now,  my  friends,  I  want  to  go  into  temperament.  Let's 
go  a  little  deeper.  Now,  when  we  come  to  the  word  "tempera- 
ment," of  all  the  silly  things  that  have  been  written  about  tempera- 
ment— it  is  ridiculous.  Now  I  want  to  sum  it  all  up  as  quickly 
as  I  can.  I  want  to  eliminate  the  false,  and  then  I  want  to  use 
three  simple  words,  Anglo-Saxon  words,  and  say  to  you  that  there 
are  only  three  temperaments  on  earth ;  that  is,  all  human  beings, 
male  and  female,  all  go  into  three  different  classes.  Tempera- 
fment  tells  you  not  how  to  approach  a  sale,  but  how  to  conduct 
the  sale.  What  are  those  three?  The  quick,  the  slow  and  the 
medium.  Now  doesn't  that  sound  simple?  "But  what  do  I  mean? 
I  might  use  other  words -here  now,  if1  you  care  to — the  morbid, 
sanguine,  melancholic,  phlegmatic,  nervous,  and  so  on,  and  then 
Temperament  those  in  between;  but  these  are  the  main.  If  we  have  you  in 
the  laboratory  we  can  measure  the  time  of  the  nerves  and  tell 
you  what  class  you  belong  to.  It  is  just  the  quickness  or  the 
slowness  with  which  the  nerves  make  muscular  motions  and  form 
ideas  in  the  brain.  Some  have  to  take  some  time  to  form  an  idea 
and  more  time  to  express  themselves,  more  time  to  make  a  mo- 
tion. You  can1  tell  the  temperament  I  belong  to ;  I  belong  to  the 
quick.  You  can  tell  that  a  man  belongs  to  the  quick  tempera- 
ment when  he  walks  into  your  office.  He  walks  in  rapidly,  and 
asks  you  promptly  for  what  he  wants.  He  is  the  quick  man. 
You  take  him  out  to  show  him  the  lumber  in  your  yard,  and  he 
asks  questions,  and  he  asks  them  fast.  That  is  the  quick  man. 
The  slow  man  comes  in  in  a  deliberate  manner.  He  will  talk  at 
about  the  rate  I  am  speaking  now  (speaking  slowly).  I  had  to 


SELLING     LUMBER  141 

put  the  brake  on  to  do  that.  Stenographers  tell  me  I  talk  200 
words  a  minute.  You  ask  him  to  take  a  seat.  He  will  sit  down 
slowly,  deliberately  (illustrating).  Adjust  himself  deliberately. 
And  as  I  said,  his  words  come  out  at  about  the  rate  that  I  am 
now  addressing  you  (speaking  very  slowly).  You  can  almost  get 
his  last  word  before  he  says  it,  because  you  are  thinking  a  little 
ahead  of  him  and  know  just  what  that  last  word  is  going  to  be. 
Now  he  is  not  a  weak  man.  Slow  does  not  mean  weak.  He  Temperament 
may  be  a  lightning  calculator,  as  far  as  foresight  is  concerned, 
and  prudence  and  thoroughness.  It  just  means  that  his  nerves 
move  slowly.  The  medium  is  the  man  that  is  not  one  nor  the 
other.  Now,  that  is  simple,  and,  gentlemen,  that  is  all  there  is 
to  temperament.  The  man  is  born  with  the  nerves  in  that  con- 
dition. Temperament  is  something  he  will  carry  with  him  all  his 
life.  The  man  will  talk  slow ;  he  will  move  slow,  at  a  certain  rate. 

But  now,  how  do  you  handle  him?     Here  is  the  cue:     Al-  I 
ways   take  the   pace   from   the  customer.     Always   take  the  pacej 
from  the  customer.     If  you  are  handling  a  quick  man,  I  would    TakethePace 
say  to  him :     "Here,  Mr.  Jamison,  are  the  inch  pine  boards  that    of  the  Cus- 
you  are  looking  for.     You  notice  the  varying  widths?     They  are    1 
very   practically   cut   to    subserve   almost    any   purpose   you   have 
in  mind."     In  other  words,  get  the  selling  points,  whatever  they  f, 

are,  about  that  particular  board,  to  him  very  fast. 

Now  for  a  slow  man  I  check  myself.  If;  a  man  talks  slow 
to  me  I  get  a  kind  of  feeling  that  he  doesn't  know  his  selling 
talk,  he  doesn't  know  what  to  say  next,  and  I  feel  like  saying: 
"Oh,  you  old  slowpoke,  get  a  hustle  on."  But  if  I  start  dealing 
with  a  slow  man  I  would  say  (speaking  very  slowly)  :  "Here, 
Mr.  Jamison,  these  are  the  inch  pine  boards'  that  you  are  looking 
for."  I  quit.  (Pauses).  I  say,  "You  notice  the  varying  widths? 
They  are  very  practically  cut  to  subserve  almost  any  practical  pur- 
pose you  may  have  in  mind.  (Pauses).  I  would  like  you  to  no- 
tice, Mr.  Jamison,  the  compactness  of  the  fibre."  Go  slow.  Now,  A  Slow  Man 
if  you  go  fast  with  a  slow  man  you  rush  on  to  the  X,  Y,  Z  of  ^ried*' 
the  facts  that  are  perfectly  familiar  to  you,  but  he  can't  follow 
you,  gentlemen.  And  you  think  you  have  got  your  knowledge 
across,  but  you  haven't  at  all.  He  is  way  behind ;  and  you  only 
irritate  him;  you  get  on  his  nerves.  You  are  a  salesman,  and 
want  to  do  the  business;  but  it  is  the  manner  that  you  handle 
him  in.  He  doesn't  know  what  is  wrong  with  you,  but  he  doesn't 
like  to  deal  with  you.  If  you  have  a  fast  man  to  deal  with,  don't 


142 


SELLING     LUMBER 


go  slow.  If  you  yourself  are  of  a  slow  temperament,  you  prac- 
tice. I  would  take  a  paragraph;  I  would  write  out  my  selling 
talk,  of  course,  what  I  am  going  to  say  about  that  particular  lum- 
ber, and  then  I  would  practice  it,  so  that  when  I  have  a  man  with 
a  quick  temperament  I  can  get  it  off  fast— and  sometimes  I  talk 
at  the  rate  of  200  words  a  minute.  That  is  what  the  stenograph- 
ers tell  me.  If  you  have  it  so  you  can  rattle  it  off  it  will  please 
the  quick  man,  because  he  understands  it  better.  A  slow  man 
wants  you  to  go  slow,  and  he  feels  at  home  with  you,  and  he 
likes  you  because  he  catches  your  idea.  Now  you  try  that.  If 
you  try  to  go  fast  with  a  slow  temperament  you  will  lose  some  sales. 
If  you  talk  slow  to  a  fast  man,  you  may  lose  some  sales.  I  talk 
fast  to  the  fast  and  slow  to  the  slow,  and  you  can  do  it,  too.  Just 
remember  it  when  you  begin  the  sale,  after  the  approach,  and 
you  begin  to  make  the  sale  and  get  in  the  selling  points  on  the 
goods.  Take  the  pace  that  the  customer  has  set. 

Now  when  it  comes  to  types  I  can  only  say  a  fewr  words.  If 
you  can  handle  types  you  certainly  will  enjoy  the  art  of  selling. 
.  There  are  three  things — thinking,  feeling  and  willing;  that  is  all 
a  man's  mind  does ;  it  thinks,  feels  and  wills.  To  think  is  to 
compare  two  thoughts,  to  get  a  conclusion  of  their  value.  To 
feel  is  to  hate  or  love,  and  to  will  is  to  decide  to  do;  that  is  the 
executive  idea.  Now  suppose  a  man  is  long  on  thought  but  short 
on  will ;  that  is  the  intellectual  chap ;  that  fellow  loves  to  think, 
lives  on  thoughts.  Suppose  a  man  is  short  on  thought  but  long 
on  feeling;  that  is  the  man  that  loves  to  feel,  to  get  his  emotions 
stirred  up.  He  likes  a  good  case  of  hate,  too.  Then  the  man 
of  will ;  he  is  the  executive  man,  the  commander. 

Now  I  will  show  you  how  to  spot  those  types.  The  one  al- 
ways present,  unexceptional  characteristic  and  sign  of  the  intel- 
|  lectual  man  is  the  inclination  of  the  head.  He  will  never  have 
his  head,  or  very  seldom,  squarely  on  his  shoulders.  He  stands 
with  his  head  on  the  incline,  usually  right  or  left,  a  little  bit, 
and  usually  forward,  so  (illustrating),  because  he,  being  intel- 

Dealing  With    ]ectual,  is  balancing  what  you  say  to  him  in  his  own  mind,  and 
the  Intellect-  J  J  ,  .  . 

naturally  your  head,  when  you  are  balancing  something,  takes  the 

position  of  balance;  not  square,  but  balanced.  Now  then  you 
can  mark  that  down  as  an  index  of  the  intellectual  caliber.  If 
it  is  a  seated  interview  he  probably  has  his  eyes  front,  fixed  on 
nothing;  he  is  introspecting  your  statements;  he  is  trying  to  see 
how  true  they  are,  whether  you  mean  what  you  say  or  your  data 


The  Three 
Types  of 
Men  You 
Deal  With 


ual  Type 


SELLINGLUMBER  143 

is  true.  He  is  watching  you.  His  head  is  inclined.  When  he 
wants  to  refute  a  point,  often,  not  always,  he  will  lay  his  finger 
down,  like  that  (illustrating),  as  though  he  is  pointing  to  the 
very  point  on  the  palm  of  his  hand.  He  will  often  stand  with  his 
head  inclined  that  way,  and  a  finger,  or  two  fingers  on  his  check, 
like  that  (illustrating).  Now,  you  can  get  him  by  his  words. 
He  will  say :  "Well,  Mr.  Krebs,  your  proposition  does  not  strike 
my  judgment.  I  can't  make  up  my  mind."  He  will  use  the  words 
"judgment"  and  "mind,"  terms  that  apply,  not  to  the  heart,  not 
to  the  will,  but  to  the  intellect,  to  the  reasoning.  "Mind"  and/ 
'"judgment."  He  loves  to  reason,  and  he  will  use  those  phrases; 
hence  you  are  sure  you  are  dealing  with  the  intellectual  man. 
Now  then,  you  have  got  the  intellectual  man.  You  can  spot  him 
easily  by  the  way  he  stands  and  his  words.  The  heart  man  will 
say:  "I  don't  feel  right  about  that."  The  other  man  will  say: 
"That  does  not  strike  my  judgment,"  or  "I  can't  make  up  myj 
mind."  The  heart  man  will  use  terms  of  feeling  and  heart.  When 
you  call  on  the  intellectual  man  be  sure  to  give  him  the  analysis 
of  your  lumber;  show  him  its  durability;  show  him  the  purpose,** 
and  that  it  will  meet  that  purpose;  go  into  the  analysis.  He  wants 
to  think.  He  does  not  fail  to  see  the  beauty  of  it,  but  he  thinks 
that,  is  sentimentality ;  he  will  think  that  is  a  sort  of  effeminacy, 
and  he  does  not  want  that.  So  you  give  him  the  analysis  of  your 
wood. 

Now  the,  heart  man  has  one  characteristic  by  which  you  can 
always  place  the  heart  man,  and  that  is  the  motion  of  approach. 
If,  for  instance,  it  is  a  seated  interview,  and  you  are  seated  over 
there  and  Mr.  Jamison  is  here — he  is  the  heart  man.  He  will 
move  away  from  the  back  of  his  chair;  he  will  move  forward  in 
order  to  get  close  to  you.  His  head  is  square  on  his  shoulders 
and  his  hands  on  his  knees.  Don't  take  that  attitude  for  agree- 
ment-with  your  proposition  or  that  he  wants  to  buy,  but  he  wants  HOW  to  Know 
to  give  you  a  square  deal.  He  will  often  move  his  chair  toward  '" 

you.  He  will  be  open  and  frank.  The  motion  of  approach  is  | 
always  the  sign  of  a  man  of  heart ;  he  will  always  try  to  get  closer. 
When  it  is  a  standing  interview  he  will  sometimes  come  up  so 
close  as  to  blow  his  breath  in  your  face;  and  I  do  hate  that;  but 
he  does  it  out  of  the  goodness  of  his  heart.  How  do  you  handle 
him?  Slap  him  on  the  shoulder  and  pat  him  on  the  back.  And 
he  will  use  phrases  like  "I  don't  feel  quite  right  about  that.  I 
wonder  how  my  wife  would  like  that."  He  is  thinking  of  the 


144  SELLINGLUMBER 

pleasure  of  it;  he  is  thinking  of  the  beauty  of  the  thing.  And 
we  want  to  call  his  attention  to  the  esthetics  of  the  lumber,  the 
beauty  of  it.  If  the  building  is  built  of  this  particular  lumber 
it  will  have  an  air  of  refinement;  it  will  please  the  wife;  it  will 
please  the  boys  at  the  club,  if  it  is  built  out  of  this.  He  doesn't 
want  analyses.  He  doesn't  care  so  much  how  long  that  wood  will 
last;  not  so  much;  throw  it  in,  but  he  loves  that  other  thing. 

A  man  was  selling  furniture,  and  a  woman  came  in  to  buy 
a  set  of  parlor  furniture,  and  he  gave  her  thejtalk  for  the  intel- 
lectual type.     He  showed  how  strong  the  sutures  were,  how  long 
the   wood   would  last;  he   gave  her  the   analysis,   the   head  type. 
She  didn't  buy.     Women  are  of  the  emotional  type.     Women  are 
long  on  soul.     A  woman  will  jump  to  a  conclusion  by  intuition 
where  a  man  will  have  to  reason  himself  up  and  sit  beside  her 
and  say :     "Yes,  dear,  you  are  right" — and  she  knew  it  long  be- 
Usin    "iHead"     ^ore'     ^°  ne  decided  when  he  saw  her  passing  from  the  store, 
Arguments         to  call  her  back.     And  he  said:     "Madam,  look  at  the  symphony 
witha "Heart"    of  the  lineg  of  that  chair      jt  wag  an  artist  that  Bought  out  those 

lines."  And  he  came  up  to  it  as  though  it  were  a  tender  thing, 
and  he  laid  his  hand  on  it  like  he  was  petting  it ;  and  he  said : 
"Do  you  know,  that  is  Sixteenth  century  furniture?  Madam, 
stand  back!.  Just  get  the  air  of  it.  Just  get  the  spirit.  That 
will  bring  an  air  of  education  into  your  home  that  will  be  an  edu- 
cation to  your  children;  that  will  be  a  fine  work  of  art."  And 
she  bought  it.  She  was  long  on  art,  to  the  extent  of  $160. 

Now,  my  friends,  when  it  comes  to  the  will  type,  the  will 
type  of  fellow  will  swell  out;  they  kind  of  swell  out;  they  don't 
stand  as  though  they  were  at  ease,  but  solidly.  They  kind  of 
swell  out,  and  they  get  up  a  sonorous  way  with  their  voices.  They 
kind  of  impress  you  and  kind  of  domineer  over  you,  and  swell 
out  over  you  as  though  they  wanted  to  overawe  you  and  push 
you  along.  When  they  make  a  gesture  they  point  like  that  (illus- 
trating). When  the  intellectual  man  points,  he  points  like  that 
^e  (illustrating)-  The  purely  intellectual  type  is  selfish;  they  lack 
heart.  The  heart  man  will  point  like  that  (illustrating),  but  the 
commander  will  point  like  that  (illustrating).  He  swells  out  be- 
fore you  and  stands  very  firm.  He  is  the  boss.  Now  then,  gen- 
tlemen, how  are  you  going  to  handle  the  will  type?  Well,  there 
is  only  one  thing  to  do,  for  we  haven't  any  of  the  elements  of 
the  other  two,  for  they  are  short  on  heart,  and  you  can't  appeal 
to  esthetics  there.  He  will  think  that  is  effeminacy.  He  can't 


SELLINGLUMBER  145 

analyze,  because  he  hasn't  brains  enough.  So  what  are  you  go- 
ing to  do?  Well,  you  make  a  proposition,  and  he  will  say:  "I 
know  that  is  not  so."  You  come  back  and  say:  "I  know  it  is 
so."  Meet  his  one  statement  with  another.  Those  fellows  you 
have  to  knock  down  before  you  can  pick  them  up.  And  they  love 
that  thing.  They  think  you  are  a  man  of  their  own  type,  a  man 
of  strong  will,  and  they  love  the  thing.  If  you  come  in  in  a  gen- 
tlemanly way  they  think  you  are  a  sissy  and  they  won't  take 
any  stock  in  you.  You  can't  reach  them  through  their  sensibili- 
ties, and  you  can't  reason  with  them,  so  you  simply  have  to  take 
them  by  the  neck  and  simply  domineer  over  them,  assertion  for 
assertion  and  strength  for  strength. 

F.  O.  Bailey  called  on  a  firm  in  New  York.  He  called  two 
years  in  succession.  The  first  time  hq  sent  in  his  card  and  Mr. 
Jamison  sent  out  and  returned  Bailey's  card  by  a  negro  servant, 
and  said :  "We  are  too  busy  to  see  you  today."  Bailey  believed 
that  the  first  year  and  so  he  didn't  push  himself  in.  The  second 
year  that  same  thing  happened;  after  waiting  thirty  minutes  that 
was  the  word  that  was  sent  out  by  the  proprietor.  Now  Bailey 
began  to  reason  what  kind  of  a  type  sat  in  that  office.  He  said: 
"No  gentleman  would  treat  a  representative  of  the  firm  I  rep- 
resent like  that — me  coming  here  two  years  and  having  me  sit 
here  half  an  hour,  and  wasting  my  time;  no  gentleman  would 
treat  another  gentleman  like  that;  so/'  he  said,  "he  is  not  the 
heart  man.  He  is  not  the  reasoning  chap,  either.  That  fellow  ~  ..  p 
does  not  reason  much  or  he  would  reason  that  he  ought  to  see  the  the  Way — 
products  of  the  firm  I  represent,  even  if  only  to  look  at  them."  Ycar>TW° 
So  Bailey  decided  to  treat  him  like  he  would  treat  the  will  type. 
So  here  is  what  happened.  Bailey  sent  in  his  card  again,  and 
at  the  lower  left-hand  corner  was  the  word  "Important."  The 
man  took  it  in  but  came  back  and  said:  "Mr.  Jamison  is  too 
busy  to  see  you."  Then  he  threw  away  his  card  and  wrote :  "Less 
than  a  minute  by  the  watch.  Ten  dollars  a  second  if  I  stay  long- 
er." The  negro  was  afraid  to  go  in  again,  but  Bailey  greased 
the  way  with  half  a  dollar,  and  so  he  slipped  in,  ^and  came  out 
and  said:  "All  right,  Mr.  Bailey,  you  can  see  Mr.  Jamison." 
Imagine  Jamison  seated  at  his  desk.  Bailey  kept  his  hat  on, 
opened  up  his  coat  and  walked  in  like  that  (illustrating).  Jami- 
son said:  "Well,  what  do  you  want?"  Bailey  said — didn't  say 
"Mr.  Jamison" — "Well,"  he  says,  "Jamison  I  just  wanted  to  see 
you.  I  have  been  here  two  years.  You  know  what  our  firm 


146 


SELLING     LUMBER 


His  Attitude 
Toward  the 
War— Pro- 
American 


is,  and  bigger  firms  than  yours  give  me  twenty  to  thirty  minutes 
to  look  into  our  product.  Two  years  you  have  been  so  busy  that 
you  couldn't  take  time  to  see  me.  You  are  busier  than  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  busier  than  God  Almighty.  You  are 
a  curiosity,  and  I  wanted:  to  have  a  look  at  the  curiosity.  This 
is  less  than  a  minute.  Good-bye."  He  got  to  the  door.  He  never 
got  out.  Jamison  liked  that.  Jamison  thought  that  was  great. 
He  said:  "Bailey,  come  back."  Of  course  Bailey  went  back, 
and  then  they  got  together,  and  Bailey  took  his  order.  And  so 
you  treat  the  different  types. 

Now,  gentlemen,  I  have  gone  nearly  on  the  roof,  and  it  is 
late,  and  I  want  to  conclude  with  just  one  thought.  I  would  feel 
that  I  were  not  true  to  you  or  me  in  our  work  if  I  didn't  say 
just  this  word.  This  world  war  is  an  enormous  affair.  It  is 
getting  to  be  a  world  war.  The  gigantic  proportions  of  it  are 
such  that  people  can't  even  realize  what  is  going  on  in  Europe. 
Why,  the  battle  of  Waterloo  had  only  200,000  on  each  side,  and 
there  were  60,000  casualties.  It  was  a  great  battle.  But  the  bat- 
tle fought  six  months  ago  on  French  soil  had  600,000  on  both 
sides,  and  yet  we  read  about  that  as;  a  skirmish  in  our  morning 
newspapers.  On  the  line  of  the  Eastern  front,  900  miles,  there 
are  3,500,000  men;  on  the  line  of  the  West,  700  miles,  3,000,000 
in  it;  and  the  line  to  the  South  has  a  million  men  in  it.  I  don't 
see  how  those  men^get  the  military  blue  print.  Imagine  a  cam- 
paign like  that,  and  it  makes  all  the  battles  of  the  past  look  like 
30  cents,  or  all  our  honor  and  love  for  what  those  battles  have 
won  us.  The  proportions  of  it  have  been  double  compounded. 
My  mother  was  French — La  Fait  was  the  name.  My  father  was 
German,  and  I  don't  know  how  I  live  at  peace  with  myself  these 
days.  I  am  not  pro-German,  although  I  have  lots  of  love  for 
the  Germans;  I  am  not  pro-French,  although  I  have  lots  of  love 
for  the  French;  I  am  not  pro-English,  although  I  have  lots  of 
love  for  the  English ;  I  am  not  pro-Irish  and  I  am  not  pro-Turk, 
but  I  am  pro- American.  (Prolonged  applause).  I  am  glad  to  see 
that  splendid  outburst — not  for  me,  but  for  the  principles  I  am 
standing  for.  Now,  my  friends,  what  have  you  and  I  got  to  do 
with  it  when  we  don't  go  to  war,  don't  shoulder  the  musket?— 
for  all  of  us  ought  to  have  this  answer  to  what  can  we  do.  We 
can  do  a  tremendous  thing.  When  it  is  time  for  peace  to  re- 
turn, to  waken  up  and  push  it  to  the  front;  that  is  our  function; 
and  you  say:  "How  shall  I  get  at  it?"  Well,  this  way:  Six 


SELLING     LUMBER 


147 


America  the 
"Pet  of  High 
Heaven" 


years  ago  a  man  said  to  me:  "Doctor,  why  is  it  we  in  America 
here  feel  that  we  are  the  particular  pet  of  high  heaven;  that  God 
Almighty  has  his  hand  with  more  love  on  the  flag  of  the  stars 
and  stripes  than  any  other?  Why,"  he  said,  "take  Persia.  What 
is  Persia  today?  Why  Persia  does  not  amount  to  that  much 
(snapping  his  fingers)  in  the  policies  of  the  world.  But  at  one 
time  she  was  mistress  of  the  world,  three  times  the  size  of  the 
United  States."  Why,  gentlemen,  do  you  realize  that?  Last  Feb- 
ruary I  made  a  jump  from  Seattle,  in  Washington,  to  Tampa, 
Florida — a  straight  jump,  the  longest  trip  I  ever  made  on  land. 
Persia  was  three  times  the  size  of  that;  and  Persia  was  so  old  and 
rich  in  national  life  and  history  that  it  makes  the  United  States, 
he  said,  look  like  an  infant  and  a  pauper  by  comparison ;  and 
he  said  Persia  had  riches  that  we  do  not  possess  today ;  Persia 
could  move  rocks  150  miles  that  we  can't  move  150  inches.  Per- 
sia had  colors  that  haven't  faded,  and  we  don't  even  know  the 
chemistry  of  that  thing.  There  they  are,  as  bright  as  the  colors 
on  that  jar  (indicating),  and  yet  they  were  made  thousands  of 
years  before  Christ.  And  he  said,  "Where  is  that  vast,  powerful 
old  nation  of  antiquity?  In  the  sands  of  oblivion.  And  what 
brought  her  there?  The  old,  old  story.  And  it  is  time  for  us 
to  see.  Goodness  alive!  Does  God  Almighty  mean  to  treat  us 
like  that?  It  is  simply  the  old  economic  struggle,  the  internal 
struggle  between  the  rich  and  the  poor,  saturating  every  ramifi- 
cation of  society;  in  other  words,  the  rich  get  richer  and  the 
poor  get  poorer.  It  saturated  society  until  caste  was  established, 
not  only  in  society,  but  by  law ;  and  then  when  there  was  a  little 
pressure  from  the  outside,  Indian  China,  it  fell,  by  reason  of  the  The  Lesson 


internal  weakness  and  rottenness,  and  great  was  the  crash  thereof." 
"•Now,"  my  friend  said,  "what  do  we  see  forming  already  in  this 
young  government  of  ours?  The  same  process  of  disease,  dis- 
integration, decay  and  death.  On  one  side  we  have  millionaires, 
multi-millionaires,  trusts  and  monopolies ;  on  the  other  side,  trade 
unions  confronting  all  the  different  kinds  of  business,  and  many 
of  them  highly  organized.  And  it  is  ridiculous  for  us  to  cry 
'Peace,  Peace,  Peace'  to  high  heaven,  when  there  is  no  peace ;  and 
if  this  breach  grows  wider  right  along,  when  there  is  a  little 
pressure  on  the  outside  on  the  walls  of  our  government  they  will 
crash  and  fall,  just  as  surely  as  the  walls  of  our  honored  and 
loved  forebears  fell  before  us.  Why,  then,  do  we  sit  here  and 
flatter  our  hearts  that  we  are  the  particular  pet  of  high  heaven 


in  Persia's  Fall 


148 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Endurance  of 
Power  in 
Commercial 
Greatness 


and  think  that  we  are  the  Benjamin  of  the  nations  of  history,  God's 
national  favorites  ?  Why  do  we  feel  that  ?"  When  he  spoke  to  me 
thus,  I  felt  there  was  a  missing  link  in  the  chain  of  his  logic, 
a  lost  chord  in  the  music  of  his  thought,  and  I  tried  to  think 
of  that  missing  link  and  to  hear  that  lost  chord,  but  I  couldn't 
do  it,  and  I  bowed  my  head  and  said  nothing;  for  the  facts  as 
he  stated  them  were  all  historically  correct.  But  I  got  my  answer 
from  a  source  that  I  never  expected  to  get  it.  I  know  it  didn't 
come  from  man  or  men.  Whether  it  came  from  God  Almighty, 
I  will  let  you,  kind  friends,  decide.  But  four  or  five  months  after 
I  stood  for  the  first  time  before  Niagara,  and  it  was  a  beautiful 
moonlight  night  when  I  first  saw  that  majestic  phenomena  of  nature 
tumbling  there;  and  as  I  heard  that  voice  that  night,  the  same 
voice  that  had  been  sounding  on  and  on  through  the  centuries  of  the 
past  and  will  sound  on  and  on  and  on  through  the  centuries  and  the 
centuries  and  the  lengthening  centuries  to  come,  passing,  but  never 
past,  going,  but  never  gone,  falling,  but  never  fallen,  oh !  what  a 
mighty,  moving  monument  of  permanency  and  power,  sufficient 
to  move  the  machinery  of  the  world  by  transmuted  energy,  and 
do  it,  too,  in  curves  of  beauty  and  lines  of  grace;  and  as  I  stood 
there,  suddenly  a  voice  seemed  to  drop  down  from  the  stars  above, 
and  up  from  the  long  lines  of  illustrious  statesmen  and  patriots 
through  the  vista  of  the  centuries,  and  out  from  the  churches 
and  schools  and  marts  and  mansions  and  farms  and  factories,  and 
in  that  voice  mingled  the  voice  of  the  American  past,  the  voice  of 
the  American  present  and  the  voice  of  the  American  future.  Sud- 
denly the  waters  of  Niagara  vanished,  and  in  its  place  was  the 
Niagara  of  industry,  a  government-encouraged  industry,  of  individ- 
ually loved  *  industry,  the  thing  that  was  absent  in  the  days  of 
Persia  to  which  my  friend  referred,  and  it  was  the  missing  link 
in  the  chain  of  his  logic.  For  in  those  days,  to  bq  a  noble  man, 
or  occupy  a  place  of  respect  and  honor  in  organized  society,  you 
had  to  gain  or  achieve  a  high  place  in  the  army;  the  captain  or 
general  was  the  nobleman;  but  the  salesman,  the  merchant,  the 
tradesman,  the  business  man,  as  we  understand  him  today,  and 
as  you  and  I  are,  they  were  pariahs  in  the  days  of  Persia.  They 
were  itinerant  salesmen,  going  around  with  packs  on  their  backs, 
and  compelled  to  pay  taxes  to  a  government  that  in  their  heart 
of  hearts  they  hated.  And  yet  it  is  just  that  man,  the  business  man, 
that  is  in  the  saddle  of  civilization  today  with  the  reins  in  his  hand. 
Why  do  I  say  that?  Because  Congress  devotes  more  attention 


SELLINGLUMBER  149 

and  more  hours  to  the  problems  of  our  business  men,  to  the  ex- 
change of  merchandise,  than  it  does  to  all  religion,  all  education 
and  all  art  combined.  Why?  Because  the  thing  we  are  doing 
lies  at  the  basis  of  the  whole  gigantic  pyramid  of  the  social  struc- 
ture. Knowledge  of  the  things  made  of  lumber,  shoes,  and  every- 
thing we  exchange,  lies  at  the  basis  of  the  church  and  the  school. 

As   business   wanes   the   schools    wither.      It   is   the   business  man    Appreciating 

the  Business 
that  endows  schools  and  colleges  and  universities  and  sustains  the    Man 

preachers  and  the  churches ;  it  is  the  whole  thing ;  and  it  is  our 
function  to  distribute.  That  is  the  reason  anything  that  interferes 
with  trade  distribution  includes  the  business  men  and  the  teacher 
and  the  preacher;  and  that  is  the  reason  we  ought  to  appreciate 
him. 

I  want  to  tell  you,  there  is  going  to  come  an  age  of  recon- 
struction. We  will  repair  the  destitution  of  Europe.  A  man  said 
to  me,  "All  these  factories  will  close  down  after  the  war  and 
then  we  will  have  a  period  of  depression."  Not  on  your  life! 
What  will  happen  ?  We  will  hear  the  call  of  the  wild.  There  will 
be  such  a  demand  for  lumber  that  we  will  see  more  than  I  saw  a 
few  days  ago  at  Pensacola.  I  saw  four  scows  loaded  with  lumber 
and  drawn  by  a  tug,  intended  for  war  purposes.  But  then  they 
will  be  loaded  for  the  purposes  of  peace,  and  not  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  life,  to  meet  the  demand  for  things  that  were  used  in  peace, 
to  rebuild  everything,  along  the  line;  and  whilst  ammunition  fac- 
tories are  now  making  ammunition,  they  will  be  making  some- 
thing else ;  and  we  will  have  an  age  of  prosperity  that  will  demand 
the  pluck  and  grit  and  courage  of  the  best  of  us.  And  that  is 
the  thing  that  will  save  us.  So,  when  I  heard  the  three  voices 
mingled,  and  saw  that  vision — the  voice  of  the  American  past,  the 
voice  of  the  American  present  and  the  voice  of  the  American 
future,  here  is  what  they  said  in  answer  to  my  friend's  question : 

"As  long  as  the  song  of  Industry  is  heard, 
As  long  as  its  thunders  roll, 
As  long  as  its  music 
Nor  beast  nor  bird, 
But  man  and  God  control ; 
So  long  as  will  the  flag  of  Liberty's  fane 
Float  over  this  land  unfurled, 
So  long  will  its  stars  and  stripes  contain 
Power  to  move  the  world." 


150  SELLING     LUMBER 

Co-operation  With  Distrib- 
utors and  Consumers 

By  M.  B.  Nelson 

General  Sales  Agent,  Long-Bell  Lumber  Co. 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

There  is  no  other  manufactured  commodity,  I  believe,  produced 
anywhere  in  the  world  to  which  as  little  thought  and  study  is 
given  to  the  merits  of  its  uses  or  promotion  by  the  manufactur- 
ers and  distributers  as  is  given  to  lumber,  especially  Yellow  Pine. 
What  does  the  average  lumberman  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
or  sale  of  Yellow  Pine  know  about  its  merits?  The  measure  of 
.  success  in  any  line  of  business  or  industry  is  the  knowledge  ap- 

plied by  those  interested.  A  comparison  of  what  the  average 
lumberman  actually  knows  about  the  merits  of  lumber  with  the 
knowledge  of  those  interested  in  most  any  other  line  of  business, 
and  a  comparison  of  the  energy  that  is  expended  by  the  lumber- 
men in  promoting  an  increase  in  the  consumption  of  lumber  pro- 
ducts, especially  Yellow  Pine,  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  consider 
to  realize  our  deficiencies. 

I  consider  the  sales  organization  more  to  blame  than  any  other 
department  of  the  business.  The  average  young  man  who  starts 
out  to  learn  the  lumber  business  spends  a  short  period  at  the 
mills,  in  the  retail  yard  or  in  a  lumber  offiice  somewhere ;  famil- 
iarizes himself  with  lumber  terms  and  grades  and  the  rates  of 
freight  so  he  can  quote  on  whatever  item  of  stock  is  listed  on  the 
price  sheet  without  making  too  many  mistakes,  and  when  this  has 
Faults  of  been  accomplished,  feels  that  he  has  graduated  and  all  that  is  then 

Sales  needed  to  make  him   a   full-fledged  lumber   salesman   is   expense 

Organizations  ,       ,      ,  ,  f       .  . 

money,  an  order  book  and  a  vocabulary  that  enables  him  to  make 

convincing  argument  out  of  information  picked  up  from  the  retail- 
ers about  low  prices  which  are  being  made  by  his  competitors. 
Apparently  no  thought  is  ever  given  to  doing  something  that  will 
increase  the  use  of  lumber  in  his  territory.  The  average  sales 
office  measures  the  worth  of  a  salesman  by  the  number  of  orders 
he  sends  in.  Some  few  measure  his  worth  by  the  price  or  value 
-,  of  his  orders  as  compared  with  the  general  run  of  business  they 


receive. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


151 


In  the  most  successful  industries  which  have,  within  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  introduced  and  created  a  demand  for  their  products, 
not  only  in  the  United  States  but  throughout  the  entire  world,  they 
have  first  educated  their  salesmen  as  to  the  merits  of  what  they 
have  for  sale,  and  have  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  and  money 
becoming  familiar  with  the  arguments  in  opposition  to  the  use 
of  their  products  and  securing  arguments  to  combat  or  overcome 
such  opposition.  This  has  been  most  effectually  accomplished 
through  systematic  organization  where  the  manufacture  has  been 
by  one  interest  or  where  but  a  small  number  have  been  interested. 

I  think  the  reason  the  lumbermen  have  neglected  this  very 
important  feature  is  because  of  the  large  number  interested  in 
the  manufacture  and  distribution  of  the  product,  and,  further, 
the  fact  that  the  benefits  resulting  from  any  energy  expended  in 
creating  a  new  demand  or  combatting  the  inroads  of  substitutes 
accrue  to  the  industry  as  a  whole  and  in  but  slight  degree  to  the 
individual.  It  is  but  human  to  expend  energy  only  where  the 
greatest  individual  results  can  be  accomplished.  Lack  of  the  proper 
organization  all  the  way  down  the  line  is  another  and  probably 
the  greatest  cause  of  our  neglect,  but  we  now  have  in  our  busi- 
ness a  "live"  Association,  equipped  with  ample  machinery  to  secure 
results  if  we  will  only  make  the  proper  use  of  it.  But  the  ma- 
chinery will  not  grind  out  results  or  success  for  the  lumbermen 
unless  it  has  the  support  of  all  branches  and  is  kept  oiled  and  in 
operation. 

Now  let  us  see  how  we  can  use  our  Association  to  improve 
our  business. 

First,  let  us  educate  ourselves  as  to  the  true  merits  of  our 
product  in  its  different  uses,  and  as  to  the  uses  wherein  it  is  equal 
to  or  superior  to  any  other  known  material,  by  informing  our- 
selves in  so  far  as  possible  through  the  limited  store  of  literature 
that  the  Association  has  accumulated  and  from  any  other  avail- 
able sources;  let  us  find  out  how  long  Yellow  Pine  sap  will  last 
when  exposed  to  the  elements;  what  causes  decay;  what  known 
treatments  will  prevent  decay,  and  what  the  cost  of  the  same  is; 
how  long  heart  pine  will  last  when  exposed  to  the  elements,  also 
as  compared  with  other  woods ;  let  us  familiarize  ourselves  with 
the  different  old  buildings,  pictures  of  which  the  Association  has 
published,  and  those  of  us  covering  territory  where  additional  in- 
formation of  this  kind  can  be  obtained,  secure  photographs  and 
other  information  which  might  be  interesting  to  the  manufactur- 


Learn  to 
Know  Our 
Product 


152 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Teach  Others 
the  Merits 
of  Wood 


ers  and  consumers  of  lumber,  and  furnish  this  to  our  general  offi- 
ces so  that  they,  in  turn,  may  send  it  to  the  Association;  let  us 
seek  information  from  whatever  source  we  can,  and  if  it  is  not 
in  stock  in  the  storehouse  of  the  Association,  get  it  there  without 
delay  so  it  can  be  distributed  for  the  benefit  of  the  subscribers 
and  the  entire  lumber  industry ;  let  us  investigate  at  every  oppor- 
tunity the  practices  and  methods  pursued  by  the  retailers,  dis- 
tributers and  consumers  of  our  product  in  every  section,  and  if 
their  policies  are  along  lines  which  will  not  promote  the  general 
interest  of  the  lumber  business,  take  the  matter  up  with  the  re- 
tailers, buyers  or  distributers  and  make  sure  they  understand  that 
they  are  doing  our  industry  an  injustice.  In  addition  to  this,  re- 
port the  information  to  our  general  offices  that  they,  in  turn,  may 
send  it  to  the  office  of  the  Association  and  that  the  committees  in 
charge  of  the  work  may  know  what  is  going  on  and  seek  to  rem- 
edy it. 

After  we  have  gained  a  better  knowledge  ourselves  of  lum- 
ber with  respect  to  its  real  merits  and  uses,  let  us  take  advantage 
of  every  opportunity  to  disseminate  information  to.  the  retail  dis- 
tributer, engineer,  architect  and  consumer  by  constant,  Systematic 
effort  until  we  have  educated  everybody  who  has  anything  to  do 
with  the  handling,  of  Yellow  Pine  to  a  point  where  they  will  be 
able  to  defend  its  merits  and  prevent  the  unscrupulous  substitutes 
from  entering  our  ranks  and  defrauding  the  public  to  the  detriment 
of  our  business.  I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  we  should  not  give 
due  consideration  to  the  merit  of  any  substitute,  or  that  we  should 
recommend  the  use  of  lumber  where  we  know  it  is  not  equal  to 
something  else,  because  I  figure  such  practice  would  result  to  our 
detriment.  Our  progress  must  be  based  upon  merit,  otherwise  our 
efforts  will  eventually  fail. 

Up  to  this  time  only  a  limited  supply  of  educational  informa- 
tion is  available  with  regard  to  the  merits  of  our  product,  and  it 
is  therefore  very  important  that  effort  be  made  by  all  of  us  to 
secure  further  necessary  information  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

Let  the  salesmen  in  the  different  sections  of  the  country  or- 
ganize in  small  groups  and  meet  as  often  as  convenient,  and  devise 
means  whereby  the  retailer,  architect,  engineer  and  large  consum- 
ers of  lumber  can  be  properly  informed.  This  can  be  accom- 
plished by  the  salesman  devoting  his  spare  time  with  his  customer 
in  discussing  the  subject,  in  seeing  that  the  suggestions  and  ad- 
vertising matter  sent  out  by  the  Association  are  received  and  dis- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


153 


tributed  by  the  retailer  in  such  a  manner  as  will  get  results,  in 
suggesting  to  the  retailer  the  many  uses  which  could  be  made  of 
Yellow  Pine  in  his  territory  if  the  proper  effort  were  put  forth 
by  him,  and  that  his  business  would  grow  as  a  result.  Not  only 
that,  but  go  out  with  him  to  the  prospective  consumer  and  see  that 
the  proper  arguments  are  presented  in  behalf  of  the  Yellow  Pine 
interest.  If  he  encounters  any  questions  or  problems  which  he 
cannot  answer  satisfactorily,  let  him  report  the  facts  to  his  general 
office  so  that  they  may  take  it  up  with  the  Association. 

In  the  cities  and  large  towns  where  the  consumption  of  lum- 
ber is  governed  largely  by  the  architect,  engineer  or  builders,  I 
would  suggest  that  the  salesmen  organize  with  the  retail  dealers 
and  call  a  general  meeting  of  all  architects,  large  contractors,  en- 
gineers and  builders  in  that  particular  section;  invite  them  to 
dinner  some  Saturday  evening,  and  arrange  for  a  speaker  from 
the  Association  to  address  them  relative  to  our  product.  And  be 
sure  the  speaker  is  requested  to  give  strong  emphasis  to  those 
points  which  are  considered  most  important  to  be  driven  home. 
Get  acquainted  with  the  master  mechanic  or  master  car  builder  in  Consumer 
charge  of  any  car  shops  in  your  territory ;  investigate,  and  make  to  Ch°ose 
sure  that  they  know  all  you  do  about  Yellow  Pine  in  so  far  as  it 
affects  their  line  of  work.  Keep  in  touch  with  every  kind  of  con- 
struction contemplated  in  your  territory ;  go  to  the  architect,  en- 
gineer or  builder  with  your  customer  and  try  to  get  as  much  Yel- 
low Pine  used  in*  the  construction  work  throughout  the  building 
as  the  merit  of  the  wood  will  justify.  You  will  find  that  if  the 
architects  and  engineers  are  properly  approached,  they  will  be  more 
than  willing  to  give  consideration  to  most  anything  you  have  to 
present.  It  goes  without  saying,  however,  that  all  technical  men 
of  this  nature  are  very  difficult  of  approach  and  are  more  or  less 
prejudiced  in  their  views,  and  unless  the  proper  diplomacy  is  used 
your  efforts  will  not  meet  with  success. 

Every  salesman  should  be  familiar  with  the  building  code  o 
every  city  in  his  territory,  and  if  there  is  anything  in  the  code  that 
is  detrimental  to  the  interest  of  the  lumbermen,  the  salesmen  lo- 
cated in  that  section  should  get  together  and  organize  for  the  pur- 
pose of  seeing  that  the  discrimination  is  corrected  at  once.  If  they 
should  encounter  any  problems  which  they  cannot  handle,  they 
should  call  on  the  Association,  through  their  general  offices,  for 
help.  We  are  losing  out  in  many  territories  to  substitutes  because 
these  promoters  are  organized  and  working  along  more  intelligent 


154 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Salesmen 
Should  Work 
Together 


lines,  not  only  taking  advantage  of  but  creating  the  opportunities. 
The  consumption  of  our  lumber  is  decreasing  through  the  devel- 
opment of  the  substitutes,  many  of  which  have  not  the  merit 
claimed.  Keep  close  watch  on  every  substitute  being  used  for 
wood,  and  wherever  they  fail  be  sure  you  are  on  the  job  and  se- 
cure the  information  and  report  it  through  your  general  office  so 
that  it  can  be  passed  to  the  Association  and  distributed.  Have  pho- 
tographs made  wherever  it  is  possible. 

Let  us  impress  upon  the  retailers  and  consumers  of  Yellow 
Pine  throughout  the  entire  country  that  while  the  Association  is 
organized  and  maintained  by  the  subscribers,  it  is  organized  for 
the  purpose  of  benefiting  the  retailers  and  consumers  of  lumber, 
and  we  want  them  to  make  use  of  it  in  any  direction  they  think 
will  be  beneficial  to  the  industry  and  profitable  to  themselves. 

The  object  of  the  Association  is  to  cause  lumber  to  be  used 
for  every  purpose  for  which  it  is  as  good  or  better  than  anything 
else;  for  it  is  their  desire  to  see  that  the  consumer  gets  the  great- 
est value  for  the  money  expended  for  Yellow  Pine.  Let  us  get 
everybody  interested  in  the  Association  and  make  sure  that  they 
know  its  object  and  purpose.  Let  the  salesmen  calling  on  the  trade 
located  in  the  small  cities  and  towns,  organize  at  central  points 
and  divide  up  the  territory  among  them  so  that  every  town  where 
there  is  a  lumber  yard  will  receive  the  proper  attention  and  infor- 
mation ;  have  the  retailers  get  together  with  the  contractors  and 
carpenters,  in  the  evening,  and  give  them  a  lecture  with  regard  to 
the  objects  and  purposes  of  the  Association  and  relative  to  the 
merits  of  Yellow  Pine ;  show  them  how  short  lengths  can  be  used  i 
to  advantage.  I  think  you  will  find  the  carpenters  and  contractors 
in  the  small  towns  very  willing  listeners,,  and  all  of  the  retailers, 
when  they  find  you  are  working  for  their  interest,  will  give  you 
no  trouble  in  securing  a  conference.  If  this  matter  is  properly 
presented  I  think  we  should  soon  have  the  entire  territory  covered. 
Meetings  of  this  character  should,  I  think,  be  continued  at  least 
once  every  six  months,  because  when  once  we  get  things  going 
right  there  will  be  a  lot  of  new  things  come  up  which  we  will  want 
to  transmit  to  the  retailers,  contractors  and  carpenters.  To  make 
it  all  the  more  attractive  in  the  larger  towns,  you  might  arrange 
to  have  talks  at  some  moving  picture  house,  and  secure  from  the 
Association  a  set  of  picture  films,  charts  and  other  descriptive  litera- 
ture of  any  nature  which  could  be  used  to  advantage.  This  would 
not  only  be  of  interest  to  the  retailers,  contractors  arid  carpenters, 


SELLING     LUMBER 


155 


but  they  could  take  their  families.  The  more  people  we  have 
boosting  lumber  the  better  will  be  the  results.  Let  us  try  to  get 
everybody  enthused  over  our  lumber  business. 

How  much  of  the  average  salesman's  time  is  wasted?  I  mean 
by  this,  how  much  of  his  time  is  expended  in  a  direction  which 
does  not  result  in  profit  to  him,  his  company,  his  trade  or  to  the 
lumber  industry  in  general?  Think  how  much  of  this  would  be 
converted  into  an  asset  if  he  should  take  advantage  of  all  the  op- 
portunities which  present  themselves — no  day  would  be  long  enough. 
Let  us  endeavor  to  utilize  our  time  and'  energy  in  creating  some- 
thing. In  the  selling  of  lumber  we  have  traveled  along  the  same 
old  road  our  great-grandfathers  blazed  for  us,  with  the  result  that 
our  live,  up-to-date  competitors  have  introduced  substitutes.  They 
had  to  do  something  to  introduce  their  product,  they  had  to  create 
a  demand  for  it,  and  it  has  made  them  more  resourceful  in  this 
direction,  and  they  are  crowding  us  off  the  map,  so  to  speak.  They 
all  know  what  their  product  is  good  for  and  what  it  will  do  under 
all  conditions — we  don't.  Some  one  of  the  substitutes  knocks  lum- 
ber, saying  it  is  not  fit  for  anything,  and  we  cannot  refute  the 
statement  because  we  have  never  made  a  study  of  the  merits  of 
our  product — we  let  it  go,  and  they  take  our  business  away  from  us. 

We  have  left  our  selling  interests  almost  entirely  to  the  retail 
merchant.  The  average  retailer  is  not  interested  in  Yellow  Pine 
timber  any  more  than  in  anything  else.  He  is  interested,  however, 
in  selling  any  product  which  will  net  him  the  greatest  profit.  Many 
of  the  lumbermen  are  selling  substitutes  to  take  the  place  of  lum- 
ber when  lumber  would  answer  the  purpose  to  better  advantage. 
We  cannot  blame  the  retailer — he  is  working  for  himself;  if  he 
can  get  more  profit  out  of  the  substitute  he  is  going  to  do  it.  The 
representatives  of  the  manufacturers — the  traveling  salesmen — are 
the  proper  ones  to  see  that  Yellow  Pine  lumber  is  sold  to  the  best 
advantage,  even  though  it  becomes  necessary  for  us  to  assist  the 
retailer  in  selling  our  lumber  at  our  own  expense;  we  cannot  ex- 
pect them  to  work  for  us  unless  we  make  it  an  object  for  them 
to  do  so.  The  lack  of  co-operation  among  competitive  salesmen, 
and  as  between  the  salesmen  and  the  retailers,  in  an  effort  to  pro- 
mote the  general  interest  of  the  lumber  business  is  hurting  us  badly. 
I  believe  in  co-operation  in  all  things,  just  the  same  as  in  "United 
we  stand,  divided  we  fail."  I  compare,  in  my  own  mind,  the  strug- 
gle of  the  lumber  industry  up  the  hill  of  success,  to  a  loaded  wagon 
being  drawn  by  a  string  of  mules.  If  we  all  pull  together  it  will 


The  Best 
Utilization 
of  Selling 
Energies 


"In  Union 
There  is 
Strength" 


156 


SELLING     LUMBER 


be  much  easier  to  reach  the  summit  than  if  a  few  pull  at  a  time 
while  others  lay  back.  Systematic  organization  is  just  as  essen- 
tial to  the  success  of  our  business  as  to  the  success  in  battle  or  in 
conducting  the  peaceful  affairs  of  nations. 

Co-operation  produces  power.  This  power  can  be  used  to 
build  up  or  to  destroy  individually  or  collectively.  Some  associa- 
tions misused  the  power  they  created,  and  as  a  result,  the  public, 
not  being  familiar  with  the  workings  of  all  the  associations,  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  many  or  all  of  them  were  detrimental  to  the 
general  public  interest.  But  within  the  last  year  or  two  sentiment 
has  been  fast  changing.  The  public  is  finding  out  that  not  all 
associations  in  industries  are  used  to  its  detriment,  but  that  when 
conducted  sanely  they  are  of  great  benefit  not  only  to  the  individ- 
ual interested  in  the  industry  but  to  the  people  as  a  whole.  We 
are  not  created  equal  in  ability  'in  any  direction.  There  are  people 
in  all  lines  of  business  who  are  not  capable  of -conducting  their  own 
business  successfully.  They  are  constantly  destroying  what  some- 
one else  has  produced,  and,  hence,  their  operations  are  detrimental 
to  the  general  interest,  and  business  failures  are  the  final  outcome. 
A  business  failure  has  the  same  effect  as  the  death  of  an  individ- 
ual in  a  community.  If  the  individual  was  a  benefit  to  the  world, 
then  the  world  sustains  a  loss  by  reason  of  his  death.  Failure  in 
business  is  not  a  benefit  to  the  people  as  a  whole,  because  those 
interested  in  the  industry  are  not  the  only  ones  who  suffer  as  a 
result — the  general  public  comes  in  for  its  share.  Civilization  is 
built  on  co-operation,  and  unless  we  co-operate  with  one  another  it 
would  be  impossible  to  carry  on  the  world's  affairs  today. 

Through  our  trade  organizations  it  is  possible  to  obtain  and 

Public  Profit      disseminate   knowledge    and    information    regarding   our    business 

in  Trade   _          which  could  not  be  secured  and  distributed  otherwise,  and  put  into 

rgamza  ons    effecj-  manv  economical  methods,  thus  benefiting  the  people  as  a 

whole. 

While  through  co-operation  we  cannot  make  all  people  equal, 
we  can  make  them  stronger,  and  prevent  many  business  failures. 
Through  association  work  we  can  reduce  business  failures  to  a 
minimum.  In  some  industries,  I  understand  that  their  associations 
go  as  far  as  to  advance  money  to  their  members  to  assist  them  in 
tiding  over  critical  periods.  The  Trades  Commission  has  strongly 
urged  that  the  individual  concerns  interested  in  the  same  industry 
co-operate  toward  their  own  upbuilding.  The  President  has  writ- 
ten the  Commission  strongly  approving  of  its  action,  so  we  have 


SELLING     LUMBER  157 

every  encouragement  to  go  ahead  with  this  work.  If  we  work  in- 
telligently for  the  benefit  of  the  people  we  will  profit  by  it,  but 
if  we  work  to  their  detriment  eventually  we  will  suffer  for  it. 

The  salesmen  have  a  greater  opportunity  to  advance  this  move- 
ment than  anyone  else,  because  they  are  constantly  calling  on 
the  trade,  the  buyer  and  consumer.  All  of  us  are  failing  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  to  make  use  of  the  knowledge  we  possess, 
many  of  us  because  we  were  not  directly  interested  at  the  time. 
We  overlook  many  opportunities  to  promote  the  general  interest 
of  the  lumber  business,  whereas,  if  all  of  us  would  look  at  it  from 
a  broader  viewpoint  we  would  profit  by  it.  For  instance,  we  all 
know  that  the  creosote  treatment  has  been  successful  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  yet  the  owners  and  manufacturers  of  timber  are  doing 
but  little  toward  introducing  the  treated  material,  seemingly  wait- 
ing for  the  public  to  find  out  what'it  is  and  then  call  for  it.  And, 
as  a  rule,  they  are  standing  ready  with  a  wet  blanket,  so  to  speak, 
to  smother  any  ambitious  user  who  comes  to  them  with  a  little  diffi- 
cult specification.  Until  recently  but  little  or  no  effort  was  made 
by  the  lumbermen  through  the  Association  to  promote  in  any  way 
the  use  of  creosoted  material,  but  since  the  Southern  Pine  Associa- 
tion was  organized  some  effort  is  being  made  along  this  line,  but 
nothing  to  compare  with  what  it  should  be.  The  machinery  of 
the  Association,  however,  is  in  good  running  order  and  well  organ- 
ized, but  like  the  machinery  of  a  sawmill,  it  cannot  create  anything 
of  itself,  it  must  depend  upon  its  subscribers  together  with  others  Association 
interested  in  the  lumber  business  throughout  the  country  to  furnish  Work  Is 
it  with  material.  That  is  why  we  are  holding  this  convention. 
There  is  no  one  in  a  better  position  to  ascertain  where  the  use  of 
our  lumber  can  be  increased,  or  how  its  present  rate  of  consumption 
may  be  maintained  than  are  the  retail  lumbermen  and  traveling 
salesmen.  Remember,  the  Southern  Pine  Association  is  not  organ- 
ized merely  for  the  interest  of  the  manufacturers  who  are  subscrib- 
ers for  its  service,  but  for  the  benefit  of  every  branch  of  the  lum- 
ber industry,  and  it  is  looking  for  information  and  suggestions  from 
every  source.  The  traveling  salesmen  should  make  this  known  to 
every  retail  dealer,  every  architect,  engineer  and  consumer  of  lum- 
ber throughout  the  entire  country. 

The  lumber  industry  is  second  in  rank  in  the  United  States. 
Let  us  make  this  organization  the  first  of  its  kind,  not  only  in 
the  United  States  but  in  the  world.  It  can  be  done  if  we  will  all 
set  about  it  in  the  right  way  and  pull  together.  With  the  proper 


158  SELLING     LUMBER 

energy  put  forth  by  the  salesmen  co-operating  with  the  retail  lum- 
bermen they  should  be  able  to  find  thousands  of  new  uses  for 
lumber,  and  this  information  should  be  passed  to  the  Association 
and  distributed  by  it  through  the  proper  channels,  so  that  when 
knowledge  or  information  is  gained  by  some  retailer  in  any  part 
of  the  country  it  will  be  placed  before  every  lumberman  in  the 
United  States,  thus  enabling  the  entire  industry  to  profit. 

I  do  not  believe  the  industry  as  a  whole  has  considered  as 
seriously  as  it  should  the  giving  to  the  consumer  his  money's  worth. 
We  have  given  too  much  consideration  to  getting  all  we  could  for 
our  lumber  without  giving1  enough  consideration  to  giving  all  we 
could  to  the  consumer.  Now  that  we  find  that  we  are  failing 
to  accomplish  what  we  have  been  striving  for  through  the  pol- 
icies we  have  been  pursuing,  let  us  try  giving  the  consumer  as 
much  for  his  money  as  it  is  possible  for  us  to  do.  We  cannot 
do  this  so  long  as  we  are  ignorant  of  what  our  lumber  is  good  for, 
and  we  cannot  expect  the  retailer,  or  anybody  else  who  is  not  in- 
terested in  our  stumpage,  to  figure  this  out  for  us. 


Logging  Costs 


By  Frank  Schopflin 

Central  Coal  &  Coke  Company 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

The  records  of  the   Southern   Pine  Association   indicate  that 
the  various  companies  reporting  their  logging  costs  to  this  Associa- 
tion for  the  first  three  months  of  the  year  1916,  took  their  stump- 
age   into   account   at   amounts   ranging   from   $2.00   to   $7.00   per 
thousand,  log  scale,  and  the  average  for  all  companies  was  $4.88 
per  thousand  feet,  log  scale,  or  $3.986  per  thousand,  board  measure. 
The   difference    in    stumpage    between    log    scale    and    board 
measure  is,   of   course,  caused  by   overrun,   and   this   question   of 
overrun  is  probably  one  of  the  most  mooted  questions  in  the  lum- 
WideVaria-    ber  business,  as  it  is  affected  in  so  many  ways,  by  a  diversity  of 
run  causes :      First,   the   different   log   scale   rules   in   themselves   give 

different  results  as  to  overrun  and  then,  the  same  rule  applied  in 
different  ways  produces  different  results  as  to  overrun.  Overrun 
is  further  affected  by  the  method  of  deducting  for  defects  in  logs ; 


SELLINGLUMBER  159 

by  the  manner  of  slabbing;  by  the  character  of  edging  done  and  "by 
the  judgment  of  the  trimmerman  in  trimming  the  lumber,  and,  of 
course,  by  many  other  causes  too  numerous  to  mention  here.  As 
an  illustration  of  this  point,  the  records  of  the  Association  show 
that  for  the  three  months'  period  above  mentioned,  some  of  the 
companies  reported  their  overrun  as  low  as  5  per  cent  and  others 
as  high  as  58.3  per  cent,  so  that  it  will  readily  be  seen  that  there  is 
a  very  great  variation  in  the  question  of  overrun  itself. 

The  logging  costs,  on  the  form  used  by  the  Association  are 
divided  into  the  following  headings :  Stumpage,  Cutting,  Skidding, 
Loading,  Spurs,  Transportation  and  Total  Cost  of  Logs  in  Pond. 

Under  Stumpage,  of  course,  is  taken  up  the  cost  of  the  timber 
standing  in  the  trees,  to  which  reference  has  been  made  before. 

Cutting  covers  the  cost  of  severing  the  tree  from  the  ground 
and  this  cost  is  affected  largely  by  the  locality  of  the  timber,  char- 
acter of  labor  obtainable  and  to  some  extent  by  the  height  of 

™  * .  The  Items  of 

stump.     The  average  cost  of  cutting  of  all  companies  reporting  to    Logging  Costs 

the  Association  for  the  three  months'  period  was  $0.385  per  thou- 
sand. 

Under  Skidding  is  taken  up  the  cost  of  getting  the  logs  from 
the  stump  to  the  spur  tracks,  preparatory  to  loading  on  cars  and 
bringing  into  the  mill.  Of  course,  the  cost  of  skidding  is  affected 
by  the  method  employed;  by  the  contour  of  the  country;  by  the 
density  of  the  standing  timber  on  the  ground  and  very  largely  by 
the  weather  conditions.  The  methods  employed  range  all  the  way 
from  the  bull  tractor  to  the  four-line  re-haul  skidder,  and  the  aver- 
age cost  of  Skidding,  as  shown  by  the  Association  records  for  the 
three  months'  period,  was  $1.023  per  thousand. 

Under  Loading  is  taken  up  the  cost  of  loading  logs  from  the 
skids  on  log  cars  for  transportation  to  the  mill  and  this,  of  course, 
is  affected  not  only  by  the  size  of  the  trees,  but  by  the  method  of 
cutting  the  logs ;  that  is,  whether  the  logs  are  cut  short  in  the 
woods  or  cut  to  longer  lengths  and  cut  to  the  desired  length  at 
the  mill,  and  it  will  also  be  governed  largely  by  the  method  of 
loading  used.  The  average  cost  of  loading  for  the  three  months' 
period,  according  to  the  Association  figures,  was  $0.239  per  thou- 
sand. 

Under  the  cost  of  spurs  is  taken  up  the  cost  of  laying,  lifting 
and  maintaining  tram  track  to  reach  the  timber,  and  this  is  an  item 
that  will  show  a  very  great  variance  with  the  same  efficiency  in 
the  work,  according  to  the  contour  of  the  country.  Naturally,  in 


160  5ELLINGLUMBER 

a  very  rough  country  where  considerable  grading  and  ditching  is 
necessary,  the  Spur  expense  will  be  excessive.  The  average  cost  of 
Spur  work  for  the  three  months'  period  was  $0.597  per  thousand. 

Under  Transportation  is  taken  up  the  cost  of  what  is  known 
as  the  "main  line"  railroad,  or  the  road  from  the  mill  to  the  point 
of  concentration  of  logs  in  the  woods  and  the  cost  of  operating 
the  necessary  train  crews  to  bring  the  logs  into  the  mill.  This  is 
naturally  affected  by  the  distance  the  timber  is  from  the  mill,  the 
character  of  the  country  through  which  the  road  runs  and  the 
grades  that  are  encountered  in  handling  the  trains  over  same.  The 
average  cost  of  Transportation  for  the  three  months'  period  was 
$0.911;  making  the  Total  Cost  of  Logs  in  Pond,  for  the  three 
months'  period,  according  to  the  Association  figures,  $7.141  per 
thousand. 

As  before  mentioned,  it  will  be  readily  understood  that  the  cost 
Yield  Per  ,  .  ,  .  '  ,        .        .  : \,  ,    ,        .    , 

Acre  a  Large   °*  ^gg11^  1S  governed  largely  by  the  yield  per  acre  of  the  timber, 

Factor  as  this  affects  almost  every  item  entering  into  the  costs. 

As  a  general  proposition  the  yield  of  short  leaf  timber  is  con- 
siderably less  than  long  leaf ;  but  it  seems  that  here  is  where  nature 
has  applied  the  law  of  compensation.  The  weight  of  short  leaf 
pine  is  considerably  less  than  long  leaf,  and  we  feel  that  the  manu- 
facturer is  entitled  to  the  natural  benefits  on  weights  of  short  leaf 
timber,  in  order  to  offset  the  increased  cost  of  logging,  rather  than 
give  this  benefit  to  the  trade. 

Much  could  be  said  in  connection  with  this  feature  and,  in 
fact,  all  other  features  of  logging  costs,  if  time  would  permit,  but 
on  account  of  the  necessity  of  briefness  in  this  case  it  has  been 
impossible  to  more  than  touch  on  the  features  of  the  cost  of  stump- 
age  and  logging;  but  it  will  be  apparent  to  anyone,  even  though 
not  familiar  with  the  logging  end  of  the  lumber  business,  that  log- 
ging costs  are  subject  to  greater  variation  than  are  the  costs  in 
the  manufacturing  end  of  the  business,  being  affected  so  materially 
by  the  natural  conditions  \vhich  ingenuity  and  efficiency  cannot 
overcome. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


161 


The  Art  of  Salesmanship 

By  D.  M.  Barrett 

General  Chairman,  World's  Salesmanship 

Congress 
Detroit,  Mich. 

When  business  men  get  together  in  a  group  like  this  they  are 
accustomed,  among  other  things,  to  being  a  little  bit  flattered  and 
congratulated ;  and,  not  to  be  outdone  in  courtesy  by  others  who 
shall  occupy  this  platform,  I  do  most  heartily  congratulate  you 
upon  your  splendid  gathering;  but,  at  the  same  time  that  I  do  so 
congratulate  you,  I  hasten  to  add  the  respectful  reminder  that  busi- 
ness gatherings  of  this  kind  can  be  either  very  valuable  or  absolutely 
valueless. 

Thousands  of  American  business  men  are  fanatical  about  get- 
ting together,  seemingly  for  the  mere  sake  of  getting  together,  in- 
stead of  for  the  sake  of  the  results  of  getting  together,  with  little 
or  no  profit  to  themselves,  and  usually  at  very  substantial  profit 
to  the  clubs  and  hotels  which  foster  their  getting  together.     They    Of  Getting 
hold  conventions  or  periodical  meetings,  make  speeches,  applaud,    Together 
and  then  adjourn  until  the  next  opportunity  of  getting  together  rolls 
around,  when  they  habitually  go  through  the  same  performance  all 
over  again. 

If  blarney  were  the  end  of  life,  and  if  business  were  merely 
a  matter  of  bunk,  then  with  the  most  of  these  "getters  together" 
the  "bull"  would  be  legal  tender.  But  business,  as  I  find  it  today, 
is  as  much  as  ever  before  a  matter  of  net  results,  and  this  wonderful 
meeting  of  business  men  must  realize  from  the  beginning  of  its 
session  that  we  are  here  bent  upon  definite  net  results. 

Success  today,  in  any  field,  is  a  matter  of  ACT,  and  if  success 
is  to  be  won,  deeds,  not  mere  diction,  must  count  highest  in  the 
game.  This  is  just  as  true  of  the  professional  field  as  it  is  of  the 
commercial  field.  The  doctor,  for  instance,  who  ranks  highest 
with  the  modern  patient  is  no  longer  the  most  talkative,  the  most  Success  To- 
complimentary,  the  most  agreeable,  the  best  known  man  about  the  day  a  Matter 

.,  .      ,  of  Action 

town.     He   talks  less — he  even  prescribes   less.     And  one   reason 

why  it  is  so  difficult  to  be  a  successful  minister  (already  we  have 
had  to  cut  them  down  from  two  and  a  half  hours  to  twenty  min- 
utes), is  because  there  is  so  much  more  to  practice  than  one  can 


162  SELLINGLUMBER 

preach.  So,  too,  the  business  man  (whether  individually  or  in  his 
groups),  to  be  successful,  must  do  and  stand  for  more  than  he 
merely  talks  about  or  listens  to.  To  hold  a  big  meeting  like  this 
one  is  all  right — to  deliver  speeches  is  a  sort  of  necessary  evil,  to 
applaud  is  generally  compulsory,  and  to  adjourn  is  invariably  neces- 
sary ;  but  these  things,  of  themselves  alone,  do  not  necessarily  make 
for  the  ''Betterment  of  Business,"  which  is  precisely  what  you  are 
here  for.  The  "Betterment  of  Business''  implies  the  "Betterment 
of  Salesmanship,"  and  the  only  justification  for  a  gathering  of  this 
kind  is  to  make  possible,  or  rather  I  should  say,  to  make  actual, 
better  salesmanship. 

How  then,  and  where,  can  we  better  learn  Salesmanship? 

I  will  endeavor  to  answer  this  question  by  first  hurriedly  run- 
ning over  the  technical  sources  of  better  Salesmanship  with  which 
you  are  already  familiar.  Then  I  will  suggest  a  ivorking  definition 
of  Salesmanship,  and  finally  I  will  attempt  to  prove  that  Sales- 
manship is  synonomous  with  "Self  Development." 

WHERE  CAN  WE  LEARN  SALESMANSHIP?  At  a  sale, 
by  analyzing  it,  and  finding  its  component  parts  to  be,  introduction, 
attention,  interest,  conviction,  desire  and  resolve. 

WHERE  CAN  WE  T  EARN  SAT  FSMANSHIP?  At  schools 
of  Salesmanship — good  schools — attend  them,  and  let  your  salesmen 
attend  them,  where  they  will  be  taught  the  three  well-defined  steps 
to  a  sale,  attracting  attention,  inspiring  confidence,  creating  desire. 

WHERE  CAN  WE  LEARN  SALESMANSHIP?  From 
books  on  Salesmanship — good  books,  read  them,  and  let  your  sales- 
men read  them — how  they  variously  treat  of  personal  appearance, 
manner  of  approach,  arrangement  of  our  selling  talk,  loyalty  to  our 
house,  treatment  of  our  competitors,  enthusiasm,  tact,  persistence, 
and  the  art  of  closing. 

WHERE  CAN  WE  LEARN   SALESMANSHIP?     At  the 

good  salesman's  elbow,  noting  his  deportment — his  cleanliness  of 

Where  We       habits — his  agreeableness  under  all  conditions — his  faculty  of  doing 

Satesmanshi     ^e  r^nt  tmn£'  no  matter  how  difficult — his  regular  return  of  125 

per  cent  work  for  100  per  cent  pay — his  independence  of  supervision 

— his  aptitude  for  doing  his  work  a  little  bit  better  and  a  little  bit 

quicker  than-  the  other  fellow. 

WHERE  CAN  WE  LEARN  SALESMANSHIP?  From  the 
coaxing  shop  window — from  the  beckoning  billboard — from  the 
magnetic  magazine  ad — from  the  persuasive  paper — froth  the  bribe- 
like  bargain  in  the  paper — from  the  tantalizing  temptation — from 


SELLINGLUMBER  163 

the  stimulating  sermon — from  the  seductive  smile — from  the  min- 
ister's menace — from  the  lawyer's  lie — from  the  drummer's  drone — 
from  the  huckster's  holler — from  every  human  activity  that  makes 
for  GROWTH. 

WHERE  CAN  WE  I  EARN  SALESMANSHIP?  From  these 
master  salesmen  on  this  program  who  are  to  address  you.  From  all 
those  other  master  salesmen  whose  names  are  business  mottoes — 
from  Hugh  Chalmers,  from  Norval  Hawkins,  from  Harry  Ford, 
from  John  Wanamaker,  from  Pierpont  Morgan,  from  Marshall 
Field,  from  the  ragged  newsboy,  from  your  next  door  neighbor — 
from  everybody  who  GROWS. 

But,  not  fro '.ii  any  one  thing,  nor  from  any  one  person,  nor 
in  any  one  place,  can  we  comprehensively  learn  Salesmanship,  since 
Salesmanship  comprehends  everything,  every  person,  and  ever> 
place  where  there  is  GROWTH.  No  one  sale,  no  one  salesman, 
no  one  sales  school,  no  one  sales-book  can  comprehensively  teach 
you  Salesmanship.  The  one  only  book  to  comprehensively  teach 
you  SALESMANSHIP  must  comprehend  many  sales,  must  make 
you  acquainted  with  many  salesmen,  must  test  out  for  you  many 
sales  theories,  must  present  as  many  different  phases  and  aspects 
of  Selling  as  there  are  sales  and  salesmen.  The  one  only  book  from 
which  you  can  comprehensively  learn  Salesmanship  is  the  book  of 
experience.  To  comprehensively  learn  Salesmanship  we  are  com- 
pelled to  get  out  and  get  experience  of  sales  and  of  salesmen,  of 
sales  plans  and  sales  ideas,  of  their  success  and  their  failure.  To 
comprehensively  learn  Salesmanship  you  have  got  to  get  out  and 
give  yourself  a  chance  to  GROW. 

THAT  is  the  working  definition  of  Salesmanship.  Salesman- 
ship is  the  ACT  OF  GROWTH,  Salesmanship  is  everything  in  the 
world  that  makes  for  GROWTH — the  coaxing  shop  window  and  the 
beckoning  billboard — the  magnetic  magazine  ad  and  the  persuasive 
paper — the  bribe-like  bargain  and  the  stimulating  sermon — the  drum- 
mer's drone  and  the  huckster's  holler.  Everything  in  the  world  Salesmanship 
that  makes  for  GROWTH,  financial  growth,  physical  growth,  in- 
tellectual  growth,  moral  growth,  is  Salesmanship.  Salesmanship 
is  literally  that  which  makes  the  world  grow !  Rebuilt  San  Fran- 
cisco after  the  fire — dug  a  ditch  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama — 
flooded  our  highways  with  automobiles — electrically  deluges  our 
midnight  sky — bridges  our  rivers — crosses  our  mountains — beauti- 
fies our  cities — civilizes  our  people — unites  (God  grant)  our  na- 
tions. Everything  in  the  world  constructive,  everything  in  the 


164 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Why  Business 

Growth 

Stopped 


world  productive,  everything  in  the  world  that  makes  for  GROWTH 
is  Salesmanship.  Salesmanship  is  the  "ACT  OF  GROWTH."  In 
the  individual,  in  YOU,  it  is  legitimate  selfishness  in  action — not 
greed,  but  sensible  self-interest,  self-increase,  self-multiplication, 
self-betterment,  self-development,,  aggressiveness,  progress,  push. 
Every  productive,  progressive  act  that  expresses  the  natural  law 
of  GROWTH  is  Salesmanship. 

This  being  the  fact  that  "Salesmanship  is  the  act  of  Growth," 
it  follows  that  Salesmanship  governs  growth,  and  in  turn,  is  gov- 
erned by  the  possibility  of  growth.  There  cannot  be  growth 
without  Salesmanship  to  produce  it.  Neither,  on  the  other  hand, 
can  there  be  Salesmanship  without  the  possibility  of  growth  to 
stimulate  it.  Salesmanship  simply  cannot  be  where  there  can  be 
no  growth.  Hence,  the  economic  fallacy  of  stunting  salesmen 
with  fixed  salaries  to  produce  constantly  increasing  growth — the 
unsoundness  of  trying  to  grow  at  the  expense  of  another,  which 
is  the  logical  explanation  of  our  country-wide  stoppage  in  the 
growth  of  business  that  ensued  from  the  year  1907  until  the  war 
abroad  artificially  inflated  our  markets,  and  now  being  blamed  by 
our  two  contesting  political  parties  upon  each  other. 

Without  wishing  to  hold  a  brief  for  the  Republican  party, 
whose  present  nominee  I  greatly  revere,  and  without  wanting  to 
champion  the  Democratic  party,  whose  highest  representative  I 
personally  know  and  admire,  I  do  desire  to  take  advantage  of  this 
opportunity  to  point  out  to  you  business  men  that  our  country- 
wide stoppage  in  the  growth  of  business  is  not  to  be  charged  to 
political  error,  but  to  the  business  error  of  failure  to  comply  with 
the  natural  law  of  Compensation,  which  is  the  underlying  principle 
of  Salesmanship. 

Business  ceased  to  grow  because  the  majority  of  those  re- 
sponsible for  the  growth  of  business  not  being  permitted  to  share 
in  that  growth,  began  to  assail  the  bigness  of  business.  Through 
their  assaults  "big  business"  got  into  bad  repute.  These  non- 
participating  producers  of  the  growth  of  business  actually  talked 
themselves  into  believing  that  "bigness"  and  "badness"  were  syn- 
onymous as  applied  to  business.  With  the  hyper-criticism  of  dis- 
contented minds,  they  pictured  "big  business"  in  all  our  maga- 
zines as  devilish,  beastly,  having  claws  instead  of  hands,  and  always 
clutching  at  the  public  purse.  With  the  super-virtue  of  well  de- 
veloped muck-rakers,  they  gave  the  glad  ax  to  the  biggest  and  the 
best  of  our  business  men.  They  literally  hacked  away  at  bigness 


SELLING     LUMBER 


165 


in  business  until  business  was  dead.  The  business  soul,  which  is 
nothing  else  than  bigness,  was  killed.  Soon  we  had  to  bury  the 
reeking  body  of  it,  and  then  we  had  no  business  left — until  the 
war  came  along  and  artificially  inflated  our  markets.  But  in  the 
meantime  there  are  some  of  us,  particularly  in  the  city  of  Detroit, 
from  which  I  hail,  who  have  learned  the  practical  business  sense 
of  giving  the  producers  of  our  business  growth  a  share  in  that 
growth  with  us.  And  so  it  seems  especially  appropriate  that  this 
city  which  has  prospered  so  prodigiously  through  the  practice  of 
this  principle  of  participation  should  endeavor  at  the  "FIRST 
WORLD'S  SALESMANSHIP  CONGRESS"  to  which  it  is  giv- 
ing birth,  to  forcefully  remind  business  men  that  the  underlying 
principle  of  salesmanship  is  the  natural  law  of  equal  compensation. 
Nature  will  not  tolerate  the  arbitrary  taking  of  anything.  In 
nature  all  things  are  sold,  measure  for  measure,  tit  for  tat,  an 
eye  for  an  eye,  tooth  for  tooth.  Everything  has  its  price  and  if 
that  price  be  not  paid,  not  that  thing  but  its  inferior  substitute  is 
procured.  Therefore,  I  say  to  those  of  your  who  are  business 
proprietors,  employing  salesmen,  seek  more  than  ever  to  have 
your  producers  of  your  growth  participate  in  that  growth  with 
you.  For,  if  you  do,  you  will  not  only  thereby  get  more  busi- 
ness from  the  men  already  attached  to  you,  which  is  obvious,  but, 
what  is  still  more  important,  and  what  you  employers  who  have 
unsuccessfully  tried  to  get  good  producers  will  appreciate,  you  will 
be  able  to  bind  to  you  other  more  productive  co-workers,  whom 
you  now  do  not  even  know  and  cannot  get,  and  thereby  obtain 
a  legitimate  monopoly  of  efficiency  in  your  line,  while  your  poor 
competitors  are  limping  along  with  their  old  methods  and  their 
pathetic  machinery  of  watching  every  man  and  suspecting  one 
another  in  a  way  that  makes  it  impossible  for  them  to  compete 
with  free-moving,  sincere  employers  who  deal  directly  and  openly 
with  their  employes,  without  any  vast  machinery  of  suspicion  to 
bother  about. 

It  is  a  last  century  delusion  to  maintain  that  for  sheer  indus- 
trial economy  and  guaranteed  growth  there  is  anything  on  earth 
in  business  that  can  take  the  place  of  good,  old-fashioned  TRUST. 
It  is  simple  folly  to  deny  that  you  can  get  the  most  out  of  a  red- 
blooded  growing  man  until  you  take  him  into  partnership. 

Do  not,  therefore,  employ  servants.  And  don't  be  a  servant. 
If  you  are  content  to  live  the  life  of  a  servant,  if  you  are  satisfied 
to  think  in  terms  of  servitude,  your  penalty  for  annihilating  your 


Producers  of 
Growth 
Should 
Share  in 
Growth 


166  SELLING     LUMBER 

soul  will  be  that  you  will  rear  up  your  children  with  the  hearts 
of  clerks.  For  your  own  sake,  and  for  the  sake  of  your  firm,  use 
your  God-given  right  to  GROW. 

Give  me  the  healthily  aggressive  salesman  who  is  hourly  selling 
himself  into  a  bigger  and  better  growth.  I'll  stake  his  self-reliance 
against  any  tupenny  hireling's  servitude.  I'll  invest  in  his  vitality, 
whereas  I  wouldn't  gamble  a  penny  upon  the  stifled  mentality  of 
the  stupefied  servant  whose  faculties  have  atrophied  from  disuse. 
I'll  trust  to  the  aggressive  man's  capacity  to  develop,  whereas  I 
couldn't  hope  for  anything  from  the  latent  possibilities  of  the 
craven  who  subsists  on  what  is  flung  to  him  instead  of  growing 
upon  all  that  he  can  legitimately  get. 

It  may  be  that  you  are  beginning  to  ask  yourselves  if  I  am 
not  over-estimating  the  side  of  the  salesman  and  wanting  to  impose 
an  unnecessary  burden  upon  the  employer  over  and  above  what 
he  now  sustains  towards  his  salesmen.  My  answer  to  this  is, 
emphatically,  NO !  I  will  even  go  farther  and  add  that  the  first 
duty  to  himself  of  the  average  employer  of  average  salesmen  is  to 
lop  promptly  off  that  percentage  of  his  sales  force  whose  sales 
do  not  constantly  show  a  regular  growth,  whose  methods  are  not 
Cut  Off  the  aggressive,  whose  conduct  is  not  saturated  with  initiative  and  the 
Non-Growing  spirit  of  enterprise ;  because  no  man  can  grow,  much  less  par- 
ticipate in  the  growth  of  another,  who  has  not  within  him  the  irre- 
pressible determination  to  expand.  In  other  words,  participation 
in  the  profits  of  an  organization  must  be  first  qualified  for  in 
terms  of  aggressiveness  and  enterprise.  Let  me  therefore  round 
out  or  complete  the  working  definition  of  salesmanship,  as  being 
the  "act  of  growth,"  by  reminding  you  that  the  very  essence 
of  growth  is  aggressiveness,  and  the  one  thing  that  I  do  want 
to  emphasize  is  the  value  to  you  and  to  your  firm  of  your  "individ- 
ual self-development  through  aggressiveness. 

And  as  I  begin  to  emphasize  the  value  of  enlightened  selfish- 
ness, of  sensible  self-interest,  of  intelligent  discontent,  which  is  the 
very  secret  of  successful  selling,  I  must  frankly  confess  to  being 
soberly  conscious,  as  I  stand  here,  that  the  individual  placed  in 
the  position  of  impressing  and  influencing  American  business 
men  at  this  critical  moment  in  the  world's  history  assumes  a  re- 
sponsibility that  is  not  slight,  for  the  very  good  reason  that  not 
within  exactly  one  hundred  years  has  the  happiness  and  the  pros- 
perity of  the  world  depended  so  completely,  as  it  does  at  this 
hour,  upon  the  aggressiveness  of  American  salesmen.  The  Old 


SELLINGLUMBER  167 


'World's  business  men  can  do  nothing  more  for  the  happiness  and 

prosperity  of  the  world.     A  goodly  number  of  the  more  efficient 

of  the  world's  builders  are  already  dead  in  the  trenches,  and  an 

equal  number  will  soon  lie  dead  beside  the  others.     The  majority 

of  those  remaining  abroad  are  likewise  dead  and  buried — buried  in 

bad  business  hopelessly  burdened  by  the  blight  of  the  war.     The 

world's  progress,  the  world's  prosperity,  the  world's  happiness,  has    Th?  Oppor- 

suddenly  been  thrust  into  the  keeping  of  the  American  Salesman.    Century  * 

The  American   Salesman   is   the   MAN   OF   THE   HOUR.     The 

whole  world's  fortunes  are  at  the  disposal    of    you    and    of    me. 

You   and   I,   if   we   are   only   willing   to   be   aggressive,   have   the 

greatest  opportunities  at  this  moment  that  have  lain  in  the  paths 

of  men  for  just  one  hundred  years. 

In  this  connection  I  like  to  think  about  and  remind  my  friends 
how  it  has  been  just  exactly  one  hundred  years  since  opportunities 
identical  with  our  own  were  wonderfully  capitalized  by  a  young 
salesman,  who,  in  the  perfect  spirit  of  Salesmanship,  through 
extraordinary  aggressiveness,  moulded  a  golden  career  out  of 
opportunities  identical  with  those  confronting  you  and  me  at  this 
hour. 

It  was  toward  the  middle  of  June,  in  the1  year  1816,  exactly 
one  hundred  years  ago.  Napoleon  had  been  banished  to  Elba, 
but  suddenly  he  was  reported  returning  like  a  conquering  hero. 
His  magnetic  name  was  rolling  back  opposition  before  him  as  the 
sun  dissipates  the  clouds.  The  business  world  was  in  a  tumult 
of  terror.  Business  men  stood  paralyzed.  Doubt  and  dread  reigned 
everywhere.  Every  man's  mind  was  a  question  mark.  Would 
Napoleon  do  again  what  he  had  done  before?  Would  he  trample  •* 
cities  beneath  his  inconsiderate  feet  and  parcel  out  the  people  and 
the  lands  among  his  favorites?  England  was  shaken  to  its  center. 
The  Corsican  Emperor  had  sworn,  just  as  today  another  emperor 
has  sworn,  that  Britain  should  be,  humbled.  Business  the  whole 
world  over  was  dead.  The  banks  were  not  loaning  a  dollar.  Many 
had  closed  and  refused  to  honor  the  checks  of  depositors.  •  People 
with  money  were  hoarding  it.  Warring  nations  were  appropriating 
all  available  moneys  to  advance  their  offensive  measures,  peaceful 
nations  \vere  appropriating  funds  to  strengthen  their  defensive 
plans,  but  for  business  there  was  no  money  to  be  had.  Govern- 
ment bonds  had  dropped  to  55,  and  the  English  loan  at  8  per  cent 
had  met  with  only  a  few  straggling  applications.  Such  were  the 
•conditions  exactly  one  hundred  years  ago.  While  other  men  stood 


168  SELLINGLUMBER 

still  and  shriveled  up  with  fear,  while  other  men  preached  con- 
servation and  deliberation,  one  young  salesman  made  plans  to 
capitalize  aggressiveness.  That  young  salesman  was  Nathan  Roth- 
schild, whose  grandson  died  last  year  in  London,  head  of  ad- 
mittedly the  most  influential  family  in  the  world.  With  young 
Rothschild  to  think  was  to  act.  So  aggressive  had  he  grown  to  be 
that  some  business  men  rated  him  an  unsafe  risk.  When  con- 
ditions had  reached  their  worst,  young  Rothschild  called  his  book- 
keeper and  gave  him  quick  but  careful  instructions.  "I  am  going 
across  to  the  Continent,"  he  said,  "where  I  shall  see  either  the 
downfall  of  Napoleon  or  his  triumph.  If  Napoleon  goes  down  I 
shall  send  a  letter  to  myself — a  blank  sheet  of  paper  in  an  en- 
velope. When  you  get  this,  buy  English  bonds.  Buy  as  quickly 
as  you  can,  using  as  many  men  as  you  are  able  to  hire.  Spend  all 
the  money  you  can  and  buy  up  to  within  five  points  of  par."  Then 
young  Rothschild  rode  away  on  horseback.  He  left  a  man  with 
a  strong  and  fast  horse  every  forty  miles  between  London  and 
Dover,  and  then  on  the  other  side  of  the  channel  between  Calais 
and  Brussels.  At  Calais  he  stationed  a  swift  yacht  and  he  prom- 
A  T  •  ,  ised  her  skipper  a  reward  of  a  hundred  guineas  if  he  crossed  back 

of  One  Man's  over  the  channel  within  four  hours  after  receiving  a  special  letter 
Aggressiveness  addressed  to  Nathan  Rothschild.  He  also  promised  «  rich  reward 
to  each  rider  if  he  rode  his  forty  miles  in  less  than  four  hours. 
History  tells  us  that  young  Rothschild  watched  away  the  night  of 
the  17th  of  June  circling  uneasily  the  outposts  of  Brussels.  He 
saw  the  battle  of  Waterloo  or  such  of  that  mad  confusion  as 
was  visible.  He  saw  the  French  ride  headlong  into  that  open 
^  ditch — he  saw  the  last  stand  of  the  Old  Guard.  At  nightfall  he 
drew  the  girth  of  his  saddle  a  hole  tighter,  threw  away  his  pistols 
and  his  coat  and  his  hat,  and  rode  off  on  a  gentle  gallop.  Soon 
he  must  have  been  riding  each  mile  in  less  than  five  minutes,  be- 
cause he  rode  sixty  miles  that  night  in  five  hours,  using  up  three 
horses,  and  the  rider  to  whom  he  finally  tossed  his  saddle  bags 
asked  no  questions,  but,  leaping  astride  his  horse  dived  into  the 
darkness  and  was  gone.  Twenty-four  hours  before  London  knew 
that  Wellington  had  won,  young  Rothschild's  firm  had  stuffed  into 
its  vaults  practically  every  English  'security  that  was  then  in 
England.  While  other  men  had  stood  still  and  shriveled  up  with 
fear;  while  other  men  had  been  counseling  conservatism  and  de- 
liberation, one  young  salesman  had  quickly  invested  a  young  man's 
aggressiveness  and  capitalized  the  golden  opportunity  of  the  hour. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


169 


So  must  you!  NOW!  Conditions  in  the  world  are  absolutely 
identical  with  those  that  existed  at  this  moment  one  hundred  years 
ago ;  one  man  capitalized  aggressiveness.  Today  thousands  of  men 
are  actively  upon  the  alert,  planning  to  make  a  life's  growth  within 
a  few  months — not  by  the  aid  of  horses,  not  by  slow-moving  boats, 
but  by  the  aid  of  the  telegraph,  the  telephone  and  myriad  means 
of  their  own  mental  ingenuity. 

Some  of  these  aggressive  thousands  will  gather  in  Detroit,  on 
July  9th  at  the  first  World's  Salesmanship  Congress  for  the  de- 
liberate purpose  of  preparing  to  cash  in  on  the  golden  opportunities 
of  our  own  hour.  Those  who  come  to  Detroit  will  be  the  repre- 
sentatives of  one  million  two  hundred'  and  fifty  thousand  pro- 
fessional salespeople  in  the  United  States.  Upon  the  efficiency 
of  those  producers  depends  the  prosperity  of  the  rest  of  us.  And 
yet,  there  has  never  been  to  date  any  concerted  effort  by,  or  on 
behalf  of,  salespeople  to  methodically  increase  their  efficiency  and 
thereby  add  to  the  happiness  of  us  all.  Many  of  us  have  been 
prejudiced  against  the  possibility  of  perfecting  a  salesman,  and 
this  bigotry  has  been  a  brake  upon  the  wheel  of  progress.  For 
the  most  part  we  are  loose  and  desultory  in  our  selling  methods. 
We  have  considerable  knowledge  about  all  other  forms  of  human 
striving,  but  very  little  about  salesmanship.  We  know  definitely 
just  how  to  select  horses,  dogs  and  cows,  but  we  haven't  the  faintest  xhe  Training 
definite  idea  about  how  to  select  salespeople.  We  know  precisely  of  Salesmen 
how  to  educate  stenographers,  barbers  and  plumbers,  but  there 
aren't  many  of  us  who  know  how  to  educate  a  salesman.  We 
know  exactly  how  to  manage  students,  convicts,  and  laborers,  but 
it  is  the  rare  man  who  knows  how  to  manage  his  order-getters. 
As  a  consequence,  our  American  salesmen  are,  for  the  most  part, 
nondescript,  undefined,  questionable  products,  constantly  trouble- 
some to  their  employers,  persistently  pestiferous  to  the  public,  dis- 
counted, discredited  and  degraded  to  the  level  of  general  nuisances 
— while  foreign  salesmen,  in  the  guise  of  diplomats,  ambassadors 
and  gentlemen  of  leisure,  methodically  selected,  well  educated,  and 
capably  directed,  are  poaching  at  this  moment  upon  what  we  have 
fancied  to  be  our  protected  preserves.  Once  upon  a  time  these  for- 
eign salesmen  used  to  be  distant  six  months  from  America.  Those 
were  the  days  when  we  had  to  sail  around  the  world — today  we 
think  around  it.  Those  were  the  days  when  America  was  arbi- 
trarily conceded  to  have  peculiar  commercial  advantages  of  its  own. 
Those  were  the  days  when  vast  stretches  of  country  and  the  seas 


Neglected 


170 


SELLING     LUMBER 


insured  us  against  competition.  Those  were  the  days  when  we 
began  to  grow  the  crop  of  block-heads  who  have  so  successfully 
blockaded  "business  betterment."  Those  were  the  days  when  there 
was  supposedly  no  commercial  conquest  except  by  the  sword.  Those 
were  the  days  when  salesmen  were  cringing  peddlers  pleading  for 
favors.  Those  were  the  days  when  meeting  halls  like  this  one 
were  crowded  with  critical  competitors.  Those  are  the  days  that 
are  gone,  never  to  return.  These  are  the  days  when  men  can  get 
together  as  co-operators,  as  you  do  here  and  now.  Differing 
though  you  do  in  your  business  duties  you  are  yet  one  in  your 
purpose.  Some  of  you  are  salesmen,  some  of  you  are  sales-man- 
agers, some  of  you  are  employers,  but  none  of  you  have  aspirations 
for  a  monopoly  on  salesmanship,  there  are  no  charters  on  leader- 
ship, no  one  of  you  feels  able  to  get  along  without  the  rest  of  us. 
We  are  each  and  all  of  us  intent  upon  being  mutually  helpful  to 
one  another,  for  the  sake  of  the  general  betterment  of  business 

Let  us  begin  our  mutual 


Competitive 

Conditions      through  the  betterment  of  salesmanship. 


Past  and 
Present 


helpfulness  by  mutual  commendations.  There  are  many  here 
who  are  to  be  commended  for  the  opportunity  that  has  been  ac- 
corded us  of  getting  together — those  who  have  contributed  their 
money,  those  who  have  contributed  their  constructive  ideas  and 
their  time,  those  who  are  to  contribute  their  addresses.  It  is  not 
easy  to  repay  these  men.  Let  us  show  them  our  gratitude  by  work- 
ing with  them  as  much  as  possible,  rather  than  at  cross  purposes 
with  them.  We  are  expected,  of  course,  to  have  our  individual 
opinions  about  many  things,  nor  can  we  altogether  lose  sight  of 
our  personal  interests,  and  each  of  us  must  plan  to  profit  in  some 
way  by  being  here ;  but  this  is  obviously  no  occasion  for  inconsid- 
erate individualism,  or  purely  private  interests  or  independent 
commercial  exploitation.  Let  us  therefore  give  our  opinions — 
those  of  us  who  have  them — but  let  us  be  mostly  mindful  of  the 
general  good — the  Betterment  of  Business  through  the  Betterment 
of  Salesmanship. 

And  remember  that  "Betterment"  entails  becoming  "better" 
and  "better."  You  may  be  very  comfortable  with  what  you  now 
earn,  but  if  you  are  not  aggressively  bent  upon  something  better 
your  success  is  a  question  mark.  Be  satisfied  where  you  are  and 
you  are  a  destined  dead  loss — you  are  a  potential  hobo — you  are 
the  makings  of  a  "have-not."  Stick  in  your  rut  and  you  are  buried 
alive.  If  you  have  not  the  courage  to  progress  beyond  the  point 
to  which  some  good  employer  has  led  you,  relinquish  at  once  all 


SELLING     LUMBER 


171 


hopes  of  "business  betterment."  Your  good  employer,  at  best, 
can  but  fill  you  with  established  ideas  and  give  you  his  routine 
training;  but  the  world  pays  mighty  little  in  wages  for  canned 
ability,  however  excellent  the  brand.  Machine-made  memories  and 
standardized  brains  can  instantly  be  duplicated.  There  are  millions 
of  machine-made  memories  and  millions  of  standardized  brains. 
Hands  and  minds  that  have  merely  memorized  examples  are  com- 
mon. The  uncommon  thing,  the  thing  with  the  germ  of  success 
within  it,  is  aggressiveness.  The  moment  a  man  starts  to  manifest 
individuality,  to  think  for  himself,  to  originate,  to  show  aggressive- 
ness, that  moment  he  steps  up  out  of  the  general  mass  of  men 
and  demands  and  receives  attention  for  himself — he  throws  off  his 
confining  fetters,  gets  out  of  the  rut,  and  begins  to  grow.  If  you  are 
to  make  a  success,  you  must  make  it  out  of  self.  The  only  things 
on  earth  that  have  ever  counted  for  success  have  been  expressions 
of  self.  It  is  always  some  single  self  that  moulds  men  and  makes 
history.  It  is  individuals,  not  nations,  that  shape  destiny.  It  is 
persons  not  peoples  who  remake  nations.  Why  live  lives  of  quiet 
desperation,  minimizing  self  and  exaggerating  the  idea  of  devoted- 
ness  to  some  other  fellow,  when  most  jobs  are  mostly  stopping 
places,  and  stopping  places  are  never  stepping  stones.  Devotedness 
to  some  other  fellow,  or  to  an  ordinary  job,  just  because  it  is 
a  job,  can  be  a  disease,  although  the  malady  lies  not  exactly  in 
being  devoted,  but  in  being  content  to  remain  forever  devoted  to 
the  idea  of  being  an  employe.  If  you  are  content  to  think  of 
yourself  forever  in  terms  of  being  an  employe,  you  are  not  worth 
a  whoop  to  your  firm,  no  matter  what  your  firm  thinks  about  it. 
Your  employer  can  hire  your  time,  but  only  you  can  give  him  your 
zeal.  What  makes  the  growing,  aggressive  men  of  our  big  in- 
dustries valuable  to  their  concerns  is  that  they  have  within  them 
the  irrepressible  determination  to  expand.  \Vorth-while  employers 
don't  want  worms  warranted  not  to  turn.  They  want  restless, 
aggressive  men  like  themselves.  Yesterday's  employer,  I  will 
admit,  bought  help  pretty  much  as  he  bought  office  equipment, 
paying  as  little  as  possible  for  as  much  as  he  could. get,  keeping 
it  as  long  as  it  served  its  purpose,  and  then  displacing  it  with 
other  equipment  just  as  cheap.  As  a  consequence,  he  was  con- 
stantly drawing  a  circle  of  limitations  around  himselt,  giving  his 
competitors  every  opportunity  to  take,'  away  from  him  the  brains 
to  which  he  would  not  give  a  chance,  and  keeping  away  from  him 
the  young  manhood  in  search  of  a  man  for  a  boss.  Because  brainy 


Aggressive- 
ness the  Un- 
common Thing 


The  Salesman 
Worth-While 
Employers 
Want 


172  SELLINGLUMBER 

young  men  of  today  are  putting  themselves  into  other  men's  busi- 
ness as  capital,  and  they  are  rightly  solicitous  in  advance  that 
the  return  shall  justify  the  investment.  They  realize  that  they 
owe  it  to  themselves  to  know  where  they  are  going.  They  have 
learned  that  a  job  must  interest  them  as  well  as  support  them. 
They  have  dropped  their  cringing,  apologetic  deportment,  and  are 
going  out  to  get  what  belongs  to  them.  They  are  answering  the 
type  of  help  wanted  advertisement  which  seeks  ability  to  con- 
stantly face  new  situations  without  hesitation,  in  the  self-reliant 
spirit  of  development  and  growth.  They  are  not  money  mad. 
They  are  not  falling  head-long  into  the  first  thing  that  comes  along, 
simply  because  they  need  money.  They  are  putting  their  souls 
into  futures.  They  are  lending  their  employers  capital.  All  around 
them  are  the  evidences  of  growth  and  they  are  not  blind  to  them. 
They  have  seen  men  grow  rapidly  over  night  from  poverty  to 
affluence.  They  realize  that  there  is  not  a  dollar  nor  a  distinc- 
tion beyond  their  reach.  They  have  been  goaded  by  practical 
preachers,  like  Kaufman,  into  firmly  believing  that  "there  isn't 
a  ten-minute  lease  on  a  ten-cent  piece—that  there  isn't  an  unavail- 
able inch  of  land  on  the  continent — that  any  man  with  five  senses 
in  his  purse  can  command  anything  that  Opportunity  has  to  offer 
»r  th-  — that  if  you  are  so  rich  the  biggest  skyscraper  in  town  is  within 

Beyond  the  your  reach."  Because  the  department  store  at  the  corner  is  merely 
Rrcssi^ness~  un(^er  ^e  temporarv  control  of  its  present  owner.  When  his  ag- 
gressiveness fails  he  loses  his  store.  All  the  titles  in  the  trust  com- 
panies' vaults  and  the  millions  in  bank  storage  belong  to  anybody 
shrewder  than  the  folk  who  put  them  there.  The  chairmanship 
of  the  steel  trust  and  the  presidency  of  Yale  University  are  con- 
stantly open  to  all  comers.  Even  the  White  House  is  never  be- 
spoken for  more  than  four  years  at  a  time.  There's  a  seat  waiting 
for  you  in  Congress  and  a  page  in  the  encyclopedia.  You  may 
grow  just  as  great  as  you  please.  You  may  aim  your  ambition 
wherever  you  wish.  There's  no  such  thing  as  a  private  target. 
Success  is  always  up  on  the  block,  always  up  at  auction.  What 
do  you  offer?  Desire!  That's  easy  to  offer.  We  all  desire  to 
be  more,  and  to  have  more;  but  desires  and  wishes  are  unsigned 
checks,  worthless-  without  backing.  How  much  manhood  do  you 
bid?  How  much  aggressiveness?  How  much  of  what  is  different 
from  what  the  other  fellow  is  bidding?  Because  there  are  a  hun- 
dred million  other  fellows  bidding  against  you,  straining,  striving, 
scheming,  inventing,  daring,  avoiding  dissipation,  dispensing  with 


SELLING     LUMBER 


173 


luxuries,  applying  every  waking  hour  to  greater  and  greater  ag- 
gressiveness. Influence  and  pull  won't  avail  you  anything  against 
their  methods.  Aggressiveness  is  supreme.  Influence  and  prestige 
are  dying  abroad  to  Krupp  music.  Where  kings  have  failed  to 
be  men,  men  have  become  kings.  Manhood  can  have  just  exactly 
what  it  dares  to  go  after.  Dare  to  do  something,  for  yourself. 
You  can't  share  until  you  dare.  The  actual  doing  of  what  you 
dare  will  turn  out  to  be  a  surprising  stimulus.  The  more  you  dare 
the  more  you  will  do  and  the  more  you  do  the  greater  will  be  your 
success.  Success  won't  come  to  you,  and  nobody  is  going  to  hand 
it  to  you.  There  isn't  enough  of  it  to  go  around.  Neither  are 
there  any  known  laws  for  finding  it;  but  the  laws  of  making 
success  are  just  as  exact  as  the  laws  of  the  tides  which  moan  and 
cry  and  beat  upon  the  shore  the  round  world  over.  Just  as  surely 
as  water  rises  to  the  height  of  its  source,  just  as  truly  as  chickens 
come  home  to  roost,  just  so  certain  is  it  that  Fortune  is  overtaken 
by  the  pursuer  of  Fortune,  but  you  have  to  go  after  it.  Old  folks 
who  are  sent  back  over  the  hills  to  the  poorhouse  have  merited 
their  fate,  and  you  and  I  are  on  the  way  back,  over  the  hills  to  the 
poorhouse  if  we  are  not  on  the  way  aggressively  forward  to 
something  better  than  what  we  now  have. 

The  whole  wide  world  is  wanting  to  be  sold  to.  There  is  a 
famine  in  high-priced  salesmen  throughout  the  land.  The  biggest 
prizes  with  which  success  can  lure  you  are  waiting  if  you  are  only 
willing  to  be  aggressive,  if  you  are  only  willing  to  be  different 
from  the  ordinary,  if  you  are  only  determined  to  be  dissatisfied 
with  the  commonplace  and  the  ordinary  and  the  possible,  and,  in 
their  stead,  resolve  to  actually  accomplish  the  impossible.  For, 
believe  me,  it  is  some  new  beautiful  ^possibility  that  the  suc- 
cessful men  of  today  must  be  constantly  striving  after.  The  men 
of  yesterday  lived  in  the  days  of  possibles  and  waited  and  hoped 
in  vain  for  the  miracles  of  today  that  never  came  to  them.  The 
aggressive,  growing  men  of  today  go  out  and  perform  the  miracles  • 
that  they  demand,  and,  oh,  such  miracles  as  we  DO  perform !  We 
are  making  our  car  wheels  as  well  as  our  napkins  out  of  paper,  and 
our  sidewalks  out  of  glass — where  once  we  traveled  first  on  the 
ground,  then  under  the  ground,  now  we  travel  through  the  air — we 
wind  up  operas  on  spools — we  play  chess  with  the  empty  ether 
that  is  over  the  sea — we  make  clouds  speak  with  tongues  of  fire — 
always  aggressively  giving  some  stretch  to  what  we  have,  always 
getting  a  new  grasp  on  what  we  have  not.  And  who  shall  say 


A  Famine  in 

High-Pric 

Salesmen 


174 


SELLING     LUMBER 


what  our  modern  magicians  may  not  yet  accomplish  ?  Pick  out 
the  things  that  are  impossible  and  be  sure  that  they  will  come  to 
pass.  If  you  would  equip  yourself  with  a  first  class  working 
outfit  for  a  fine  little  prophet  simply  pick  out  the  things  that  can't 
be  done,  prophesy  them,  and  they  will  be  done !  And  yet  in  spite 
of  all  that  has  been  done,  hardly  anything  has  been  done.  So,  if 
you  are  dead  serious  about  success  and  business  betterment,  seek 
out  something  that  can't  be  done  and  do  it.  The  man  who  does 

"Impossibili-    only   what  can  be  done  can  be  done   without :  but  the  man   who 
ties"  the  Sue-  ...  ,    .  .  ^11          •     •     -,-  11        A^ 

cessful  Man's    specializes  on  doing  what  cant  be  done  is  indispensable.     \Ve  grow 


Goal 


and  progress  only  as  we  do  what  can't  be  done.  Is  something  im- 
possible? Then  let's  do  it!  We  have  only  to  make  up  our  minds 
about  it  and  the  thing  can  be  done.  Nobody  would  deny  for  in- 
stance that  we  shall  not  soon  have  found  some  other  use  for  moon- 
light than  that  of  merely  hauling  the  tides  around  the  world,  or 
making  love  beneath.  We  may,  indeed,  pretty  soon  be  manu- 
facturing moonlight  out  of  compressed  starlight,  and  using  it  to 
heat  our  houses  with,  peddling  it  about  the  streets  from  door  to 
door,  like  milk  in  bottles/  Imaginary?  Impossible?  Maybe,  but 
typical  exactly  of  the  true  spirit  of  aggressiveness,  the  spirit  of 
Salesmanship,  "doing  the  thing  that  can't  done." 


SELLING     LUMBER 


175 


Co-operation  with  Archi- 
tects and  Builders 

By  Jason  F.  Richardson,  Jr. 

Chicago,  111. 

'  • 

Gentlemen: — It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  be  with  you  and  have 
an  opportunity  to  speak  to  you. 

Architects,  builders  and  material  men,  especially  lumber  men, 
are  members  of  one  great  organization.  We  three  are  essential 
to  building,  and  we  must  each  take  our  part  in  the  work,  and 
perform  it  well.  I  have  been  advocating  closer  relations  between 
the  architect  and  the  material  man.  I  feel  that  the  architect  has 
an  influence  that  is  being  more  appreciated  and  it  has  become  a 
widening  influence.  An  encouraging  sign  of  increased  respect  for 
the  judgment  of  the  architect  is  given  by  the  great  number  of  let- 
ters from  manufacturers  to  architects  asking  for  their  advice.  The 
commendation  of  the  architects  for  manufactured  products  is 
being  sought  with  more  eagerness  than  ever,  which  has  been  said  by 
others  to  mean  that  the  keen  business  men  who  shape  these  policies 
are  aware  of  an  increasing  influence  upon  the  public,  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  architectural  profession.  Your  business  man  of  today 
feels  that  he  is  being  served  by  practical  men  of  business,  his  con- 
fidence is  established  and  he  permits  the  architect  to  carry  the 
problems  past  the  elemental  stages  into  its  higher  and  complete  de- 
velopment. Towards  the  owner  the  architect  naturally  assumes 
a  position  of  trust.  He  is  on  his  honor  to  see  that  money  placed 
in  his  hands  is  wisely  expended.  It  is  no  easy  task,  and  the  wise 
architect  avoids  "come  backs/'  No  one  of  us  can  work  without 
the  help  of  others.  We  must  make  our  drawings  complete,  our 
specifications  correct,  and  then  half  our  troubles  are  over.  Under- 
standings and  appreciation  are  what  one  architect  has  called  "the 
root  of  an  effective  work." 

The  architect  and  the  builders  are  today  working  together. 
The  fly-by-night  contractors  have  been  eliminated  largely,  the  con- 
tractor who  was  always  in  hot  water  with  the  lumber  man.  The 
aim  now  is  to  do  business  only  with  honest,  reliable  men.  We 


The 

Architect's 
Influence 
Widening 


The  Wise 
Architect 
Avoids 
"Come-Backs" 


176 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Salesmen 
Must  Help 
to  Meet 
Conditions 


A  Plea  for 

Honest 

Lumber 


Specify  the 
Right  Species 
—Then  Get  It 


know  that  you  cannot  get  blood  out  of  a  turnip,  and  that  you  cannot 
get  better  work  out  of  a  man  than^what  is  in  him. 

The  owner  has  the  right  to  the  architect's  best  judgment,  his 
best  skill,  his  best  advice  his  absolute  fidelity  and  good  faith,  and 
these  conditions  must  be  met  before  the  architect's  duty  is  accom- 
plished. 

To  meet  these  conditions  we  must  ask  of  the  material  man, 
such  as  your  lumber  salesmen,  that  you  be  honest  with  us  and 
help  us  meet  the  conditions. 

And  so,  gentlemen,  we  ask  for  honest  lumber. 

I  have  said  before,  somewhere,  that  lumber  is  coming  back, 
not  only  for  a  number  of  every-day  users,  where  the  substitutes 
have  had  their  chances  and  failed,  but  for  really  big  things,  where 
mistakes  would  cause  damage  well  up  into  thousands  of  dollars, 
such  as  in  warehouse  construction,  factories,  wharfs,  etc.  In  this 
connection  we  take  up  the  question  of  the  proper  species  of  yellow 
pine  for  constructional  purposes.  Mr.  Frank  E.  Davidson,  presi- 
dent of  the  Illinois  Society  of  Architects,  has  been  very  earnestly 
waging  a  campaign  among  the  members  of  his  association  to  in- 
duce a  careful  use  of  the  three  varieties  of  Southern  Pine. 

The  general  practice  is  to  specify  long  leaf,  whether  the  lum- 
ber is  to  be  used  where  severe  stresses  are  to  occur  or  where  rela- 
tively greater  strength  is  not  essential. 

In  the  construction  of  ordinary  flat  buildings  and  residences, 
although  long  leaf  pine  may  be  specified,  it  is  stated  that  either 
a  mixture  of  short  leaf  or  loblolly  is  almost  invariably  delivered, 
and  that  those  grades  are^satisfactory,  for  the  floor  loading  require- 
ments do  not  necessitate  the  use  of  long  leaf,  nor  are  there  special 
conditions  to  induce  dry  rot. 

But  where  there  is  the  need  for  long  leaf  pine,  as  in  mill  con- 
struction, because  of  the  heavy  floor  loading  or  exposure  to  dry  rot, 
the  architect  should  pay  special  attention  to  the  kind  of  lumber 
used,  and  insist  upon  long  leaf.  The  same  discretion  in  delivery 
that  is  taken  by  the  seller  when  long  leaf  is  specified  in  ordinary 
dwelling  houses  should  not  be  permitted  to  occur.  The  corrections 
of  this  laxity,  Mr.  Davidson  believes,  would  be  easier  if  the  arch- 
itect were  to  specify  short  leaf  or  loblolly  where  those  grades  are 
suitable,  instead  of  specifying  long  leaf.  He  says  that  the  archi- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


177 


tect's  first  duty  is  to  educate  the  architects  to  specify  lumber  and 
timbers  properly,  keeping  in  mind  standard  grading  rules,  and  then 
to  insist  that  the  lumber  dealers  fill  the  specifications  strictly  as 
specified. 

Few  architects  really  know  lumber  and  therefore  are  unable 
to  properly  inspect  or  identify  the  timbers  or  lumber  which  they 
have  called  for,  and  the  lumber  man  knows  this. 

However,  here  is  where  I  expect  and  ask  the  lumber  salesman 
to  help.  Many  salesmen  are  called  upon  to  figure  bills  of  lumber 
by  the  local  dealers — if  the  lumber  salesman  would  ascertain  from 
the  dealer  what  the  lumber  is  to  be  used  for,  and  advise  him  as 
to  the  proper  grade  to  be  used,  and  see  that  he  buys  only  that  kind, 
then  you  are  helping  to  save  lumber  from  the  disgrace  of  wrong 
usage,  and  sure  failure  to  the  purpose  intended.  This  is  what  I 
mean  by  honest  lumber,  right  lumber  in  the  right  place. 

We  know  that  it  is  possible  to  get  timbers  that  will  meet  all 
possible  requirements  and  will  give  satisfactory  service.  I  believe 
the  lumber  man  wants  us  to  get  it,  and  I  believe  he  is  going  to 
see  that  we  get  it.  You  have  the  goods  and  can  deliver  them,  and 
we  can  get  together  and  work  out 'our  problems. 

The  average  lumber  dealer  is  wholly  unacquainted  with  the 
botanical  species  of  timbers  and  lumbers.  He  has  not  the  technical 
knowledge  that  is  necessary  for  the  recommendation  of  proper 
materials.  Your  Southern  Pine  Association  has  actively  co-operated 
with  the  United  States  Forest  Service,  and  the  American  Society 
for  Testing  Materials,  for  the  purpose  of  finding  some  such  method 
for  distinguishing  the  various  classes  of  pine  for  structural  pur- 
poses, and  has  devised  a  method  called  the  "Density  Rule,"  which 
provides  two  classes  of  pines,  Dense  Southern  Yellow  Pine  and 
Sound  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  and  to  quote  from  their  pamphlet  • 

"Dense  Southern  Pine  includes  the  best  pieces  of  what  has 
hitherto  been  known  as  long  leaf  pine,  and  excludes  the  occasional 
pieces  of  inferior  quality  for  structural  purposes.  It  also  includes 
those  pieces  of  short  leaf  pine,  Cuban  pine  and  loblolly  pine,  which, 
because  of  their  density  and  strength,  are  in  every  way  equal  to 
the  high  grade  of  long  leaf  pine." 

Now  the  idea  I  am  trying  to  get  at  is  this:  If,  when  fill- 
ing an  order  for  timbers  and  heavy  pieces  the  dealer  will  say  on 
his  order  blank,  or  the  salesman  will  ascertain  and  note  the  pur- 


How  the 
Salesman 
Can  Help 


Lumber 
Dealers 
Don't  Know 
Species 


178 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Evils  of 
Careless 
Merchandizing 


Kidder  on 
"Standard 
Mill  Con- 
struction" 


Other 
Materials 
iD'elivered 
As  Ordered 


pose  for  which  this  lumber  is  to  be  used,  the  manufacturer,  or 
the  mill  owner  rather,  will  then  ship  to  the  customer  the  grade 
of  lumber  that  is  suitable  for  the  purpose — or  "honest  lumber." 

The  mill  man  has  for  years  been  sawing  lumber  as  a  selling 
proposition,  and  does  not  know  or  care  what  for,  or  where  it  is 
going  to  be  used.  This  lumber  is  shipped  to  the  customer,  who 
does  not  know  but  what  it  is  all  right,  as  it  is  lumber  of  the  size 
he  wanted.  The  average  architect  does  not  know  either  but  what 
the  lumber  is  all  right.  The  lumber  fails  in  the  purpose  intended, 
dry  rot  sets  in,  and  the  next  time  the  consumer  wants  to  build 
or  enlarge  his  factory  he  commences  talking  steel  and  concrete. 

Reports  show  that  in  the  East  where  mill  construction  for 
factory  purposes  is  largely  used,  that  with  sprinkler  protection,  it 
is  recognized  as  a  good  hazard  by  insurance  companies,  and  that 
in  some  instances  the  companies  consider  such  a  building  a  better 
risk  than  some  of  the  supposed  fire-proof  buildings. 

Kidder  says:  "Wherever  wooden  joist  and  flooring  are  to 
be  used,  it  is  more  desirable  from  the  point  of  safety  from  fire 
to  use  wood  for  the  posts  and  girders  also,  than  to  use  iron  or 
steel  for  these  portions  of  the  building,  for  the  reason  that  steel 
beams  warp  and  twist  and  pull  down  the  building  several  minutes 
before  the  wooden  beams  would  be  burnt  to  the  breaking  point, 
that  is,  provided,  the  wooden  beams  have  a  sectional  area  of  at 
least  72  square  inches,  and  are  spaced  four  feet  or  more  from 
centers.  Cast  iron  columns  will  also  generally  fail  in  a  fire  sooner 
than  wooden  posts." 

The  architect  specifies  and  gets  the  steel  he  wants.  He  speci- 
fies and  gets  the  cement  or  stone  he  wants,  we  get  certificates  if 
we  want  them.  Now  he  wants  to  specify  and  get  the  lumber 
he  wants,  and  where  there  is  not  any  architect  on  the  work,  then 
I  think  it  is  up  to  the  lumberman  to  find  out  the  kind  of  lum- 
ber the  owner  should  have  and  see  that  he  takes  it,  explaining 
to  him  why  he  should  have  it,  and  refusing  to  sell  him  any  other 
kind,  and  save  failure  and  thereby  help  "honest  lumber." 

The  Illinois  Society  of  Architects  has  prepared  and  adopted 
standard  specifications  for  structural  lumber.  This  relieves  the 
architect  of  much  detail  work,  and  of  the  necessity  of  working 
out  over  and  over  again  specifications  for  successive  work.  These 
are  not  new  grading  rules  for  lumber  men.  They  are  only  intended 
for  the  guidance  of  architects,  and  the  proper  use  of  association 


SELLING     LUMBER 


179 


grades  under  official  association  rules,  and  particularly  applies  to 
Southern  Yellow  Pine.  Standard  specifications  on  other  woods 
are  also  under  discussion.  (See  the  American  Lumberman  of 
January  29,  1916). 

I  believe  Southern  Pine  to  be  the  best  wood  for  general  build- 


Southern 


The  Salesman 
As  a  Consult- 
ing Expert 


Branded 
Lumber 
Means  Hon- 
est Lumber 


ing   purposes,    and    the   strongest    and   best    commercial    wood    on    Yellow  Pine 
the  market  today.  *s  B«st 

It  might  be  well  for  the  salesman  to  follow  up  more  spe- 
cifically the  study  of  dry  rot  in  timber  construction,  and  learn 
the  few  rules  and  recommendations  of  the  architects  and  engineers 
regarding  the  painting  of  green  timbers,  etc.,  that  serve  to  make 
possible  the  growth  of  the  dry  rot  fungus.  It  is  my  intention  to 
have  you  all  become  consulting  experts  in  this  line,  as  consider- 
able knowledge  can  be  acquired  without  much  effort,  and  as  you 
are  the  connecting  link  between  the  mill  and  the  consumer,  much 
good  would  result  for  the  proper  use  of  lumber. 

Then,  comes  the  question  of  branding  lumber.  A  large  per- 
centage of  heavy  timbers  are  branded,  and  some  mills  brand  all 
their  lumber.  To  my  mind  this  is  helping  the  architects,  dealers 
and  owners  considerably  and  eliminates  the  dishonest  handler  of 
lumber,  and  helps  put  the  lumber  business  on  a  fair,  square  and 
honest  basis.  This  branding  of  lumber  is  now,  I  understand,  a 
matter  of  discussion  among  the  mill  men. 

All  this  means,  of  course,  that  the  lumber  dealer  and  the 
lumber  salesman  should  have  a  considerable  technical  knowledge 
of  lumber.  They  should  know  where  to  sell  the  grades,  and  where 
not  to  sell  it,  and  this  applies  not  only  to  heavy  structural  tim- 
bers and  lumbers,  but  to  other  grades  of  lumber. 

An  architect  sends  out  his  plans  and  specifications  calling 
for  certain  grades  and  kinds  of  materials.  Very  often  it  happens 
that  the  dealer  has  not  the  materials  called  for  on  hand.  If  he 
is  in  close  touch  with  the  architect  it  very  often  happens  that  he 
can  substitute  and  at  the  same  time  not  materially  change  the  con- 
ditions or  quality  of  the  work.  I  am  very  often  called  up  by  ma- 
terial dealers  on  this  question  and  we  can  generally  arrange  mat- 
ters satisfactorily. 

This  applies  perhaps  more  particularly  to  the  small  dealers, 
but  the  small  dealer  is  the  important  man  in  the  small  community, 
and  his  business  goes  towards  the  huge  volume  of  business  in  a 
noticeable  proportion,  and  I  notice  the  small  dealer  is  the  best 


The  Architect 
Has  Advance 
Information 
on  Future 
Work 


180  SELLINGLUMBER 

lumber  association  member,  and  is  well  posted  on  lumber  and  lum- 
ber conditions. 

I  want  them  to  feel  that  they  can  come  and  talk  these  mat- 
ters over.  I  want  them  to  talk  over  with  me  the  prospects  for 
the  season's  work.  I  can  sometimes  tell  them  of  work  coming 
up  that  will  require  certain  special  materials,  and  have  them  make 
a  note  of  it,  and  when  the  salesman  comes,  the  dealer  can  take  up 
with  him  this  particular  problem  as  to  probable  prices,  delivery, 
etc.,  and  thereby  be  prepared  when  estimates  are  wanted. 

Sometimes  the  dealer  is  overstocked  in  certain  lines,  and  then 
perhaps  I  can  arrange  to  use  that  material  in  certain  work  and 
help  him  out  in  that  way.  1  want  the  dealer  to  feel  that  he  can 
go  to  the  architect,  not  in  an  inquisitive  spirit,  but  in  a  co-operative 
spirit.  I  feel  that  the  material  man  and  the  architect  should  co- 
Helping  Get  operate  intelligently  and  exchange  ideas  on  existing  conditions, 
Excess  Stock.  so  that  eacn  mav  know  as  to  the  exact  conditions  of  building  in- 
dustry. The  architect  is  a  business  man.  Treat  him  not  merely 
as  an  artist  or  dreamer;  he  is  today  the  reliable  business  man; 
he  is  the  financial  adviser,  sometimes  the  promoter.  He  stands 
in  a  peculiar  position  of  responsibility  and  trust.  We  must  trust 
in  each  other  and  work  together  for  the  common  good  of  all. 

The  project  of  the  building  material  exhibits  are  primarily 
to  afford  architects  and  manufacturers  of  building  materials  of 
all  kinds  an  opportunity  to  get  into  closer  touch,  not  only  with  each 
other,  but  the  public  at  large.  The  sheet  metal  folks  call  it  "estab- 
lishing strength  through  unity,"  and  ask  the  co-operation  and 
friendly  intercourse  of  all  architects  and  builders,  that  they  as 
one  body  may  work  harmony  and  improvement  and  develop  a 
lasting  satisfaction,  which  is  essential  in  making  a  permanent  and 
profitable  buyer  of  building  materials. 

I  feel  that  the  lumber  man  today  is  doing  the  architect  great 
benefit   by   the   series   of   reports   and   information   bulletins   that 
are  being  issued  pertaining  to  lumber.    The  architects  are  students 
of  building  problems,  and  information  along  these  lines  is  appre- 
Helptng  the"    ciated.     You  will  find  the  architect  a  regular  attendant  at  build- 
Architect,         ers'  exhibits.     You  will  find  him  interested  in  the  national  move- 
ments for  forest  preservation.     You  will  find  him  on  boards  and 
committees   for  fire  laws  and  ordinances.     You  will  find  him  a 
public  spirited  citizen,  giving  his  time  and  money  for  public  wel- 
fare movements,  the  city  beautiful,  parks  and  play  grounds,  etc. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


181 


You  will  also  find  he  wants  to  know  what  you  know  and  to  know 
what  you  don't  know. 

He  realizes  that  the  real  success  of  any  man  is  to  know  what 
he  knows,  and  to  know  what  he  doesn't  know. 

Whenever  the  client  reaches  the  point  when  he  hasn't  any 
confidence  in  the  architect's  advice,  the  architect  might  as  well 
quit. 

People  generally  kick  when  they  pay  their  bills,  but  when 
time  elapses,  and  they  realize  they  have  obtained  the  results  they 
wanted,  they  are  glad  they  paid  the  price. 

I  know  the  firms  in  my  territory  that  handle  good  lumber 
and  mill  work,  and  I  know  who  are  responsible  conscientious  build- 
ers. I  don't  care  so  much  about  how  you  cut  your  lumber,  or 
how  you  ship  it,  or  how  you  dispose  of  it,  or  how  you  collect  for 
it,  but  I  base  my  confidence  on  the  quality  of  your  materials,  and 
your  ability  to  get  it  there  on  time,  and  therefore  I  will  try  and 
do  business  with  you. 

The  architect  does  not  care  to  meet  representatives  of  build- 
ing material  manufacturers,  or  specialty  salesmen  who  are  unin- 
formed on  their  products.  A  large  percentage  of  the  material 
salesmen  know  nothing  of  the  process  of  manufacture,  or  impor- 
tant qualifications  of  the  goods  they  handle.  They  know  less 
about  their  materials  than  the  men  they  are  trying  to  interest,  yet 
they  all  try  to  see  the  architect  personally  and  have  their  goods 
specified.  The  architect  hasn't  the  time  or  the  inclination  to  meet 
with  men  of  this  class,  but  we  are  perfectly  willing  and  anxious 
to  meet  men  who  know  their  materials  complete  from  the  raw 
material  to  the  finished  product.  Then  when  the  goods  are  speci- 
fied and  sold  we  want  men  who  are  interested  enough  in  the  work 
to  see  that  we  get  the  material  specified  and  see  to  it  that  it  is 
delivered  to  the  job  on  time.  We  want  to  do  business  with  a  sales- 
man who  is  not  content  to  have  his  materials  specified,  but  as  some 
one  has  said,  who  insists  that  his  firm  gives  "service,"  and  that 
this  service  shall  consist  of  the  absolute  performance  of  the  con- 
tract. The  average  man  starts  out  with  the  idea  that  success  is 
measured  by  the  amount  of  sales  and  volume  of  business,  later  it 
dawns  upon  him  that  these  are  not  the  only  things  to  strive  for, 
and  that  these  are  not  the  important  things. 

He  then  knows  that  he  must  establish  and  maintain  certain 
standards.  The  salesman  and  the  dealer  of  today  are  the  two 


Architect's 
Confidence 
Based  on 
Known 
Quality. 


Ignorant 
Salesmen  Not 
Welcome 


182 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Salesman  and 
Dealers 
Must  Be 
Educators. 


Lumber  the 
Greatest 
Building 
Material. 


Tall  Buildings 
Losing  Favor. 


who  must  act  as  educators  of  the  public  as  to  the  proper  use  of 
lumber. 

Educate  your  customers  to  the  adaptability  of  lumber.  Have 
them  familiarize  themselves  with  the  simple  grading  rules,  and 
to  know  the  commercial  size  of  lumber.  Educate  the  builder  and 
dealer  to  its  physical  properties,  and  explain  to  them  what  is  meant 
by  working  stresses.  Let  them  know  what  to  use  for  flooring, 
siding  or  interior  finish.  Let  the  lumber  salesman  talk  over  with 
the  prospective  builder  these  advantages  of  his  materials  for  cer- 
tain work,  and  let  him  also  tell  the  prospective  builder  where  he 
should  use  the  lumber  of  a  certain  grade,  and  tell  him  if  it  isn't 
the  proper  use  of  that  certain  grade.  Explain  why  and  even 
refuse  to  sell  it  to  him  if  he  insists  on  using  it  for  that  purpose. 

I  am  not  here  for  the  particular  purpose  of  boosting  lumber, 
as  a  building  material,  but  I  know  that  it  is  our  greatest  building 
material.  It  is  the  material  of  the  common  people.  It  is  the 
material  that  enters  into  the  construction  of  the  home,  and  it  is 
the  material  that  we  cannot  get  along  without.  Lumber  is  the 
small  town  and  community  building  necessity.  I  hate  the  substitutes 
for  lumber  that  are  appearing  on  the  market  today.  I  hate  the  cheap, 
patent  exteriors  with  the  gaudy  roof,  and  the  flimsy  frames  of  the 
cheap  houses.  The  home  builders  are  becoming  more  cautious, 
and  more  stable  in  their  enterprises.  Construction  work  is  rapidly 
changing.  The  investor  is  growing  more  expert  in' sizing  up  con- 
ditions of  building  and  the  circumstances.  The  cheap  houses  of 
the  smaller  cities,  and  many  'on  the  outskirts  of  the  larger  cities, 
built  of  these  lumber  substitutes,  were  they  to  be  done  over  again, 
would  be  erected  of  honest  lumber.  The  old  homes  of  yesterday, 
the  real  homes,  not  the  houses  we  build  today,  as  I  described  be- 
fore, but  those  of  the  solid  and  substantial  lumber,  represent  the 
permanent  and  stable  in  construction  work,  and  make  for  the 
better  growth  of  building,  and  as  some  one  has  said,  ''the  flashy 
and  haphazard  puts  sand  in  the  delicate  and  complicated  machinery 
of  trade." 

Great  tall  buildings  are  losing  favor  for  many  reasons.  Style 
and  class  are  more  desirable  than  size  and  altitude.  Beauty  In 
buildings  is  becoming  the  cry  of  American  cities. 

Lumber  has  always  been  used,  therefore  it  has  been  taken 
for  granted  that  the  consumer  did  not  need  to  be  instructed  in  its 
proper  use,  nor  given  any  information  regarding  its  merits  and 
its  characteristics  of  different  grades  and  kinds  to  build  safely 


SELLINGLUMBER  183 

and  well.  The  lumber  substitute  people  have  been  busy,  and  the 
lumber  men  suddenly  awakened  and  have  been  awake  ever  since, 
and  have  been  busy  with  their  campaigns  of  publicity,  education 
and  service,  and  the  people  have  profited  thereby.  I  for  one,  am 
glad  of  it,  for  I  certainly  am  strongly  against  the  cheap,  gaudy, 
flimsy  substitutes  now  on  the  market.  Let  us  build  homes  again, 
not  houses.  As  you  drive  about  does  not  the  solid,  substantial  old 
home  look  good,  with  its  wide  comfortable  porch,  and  the  air  of 
comfort,  and  even  the  old  wooden  gate,  says,  "come  in  and  sit 
down  and  be  comfortable,"  and  the  beautiful  interiors  with  the 
wonderful  mouldings  and  fireplace  of  the  days  of  long  ago?  They 
were  built  for  homes  and  not  houses. 

A  great   deal   of  the  blame  of  ^°  bi^b   cost  of  building  is 
placed  on  lumber.     You  hear  more  of  the  high  cost  of  lumber  than 
of  any  other  material.     This  is  unfair  to  lumber.     The  American 
Lumberman   says   that   competent   authorities   estimate   that   in   a    «Hi  h  Cogt 
wooden  building,  the.  cost  of  lumber  is  approximately  20  per  cent    of  Building" 
of  the  cost  of  the  building  complete.     Then  for  the  increased  price    to°LUmber 
of  lumber  to  make  a  building  cost  25  per  cent  more,  there  will  have    Prices. 
•to  be  an  advance  in  the  price  of  lumber  of  125  per  cent,  and  no  one, 
even  in  the  wildest  dreams  of  fancy,  can  imagine  that  there  will 
be  any  such  advance,  and  further  says  that  there  is  much  for  the 
lumber  industry  to  do  in  acquainting  the  people  with  the  real  facts 
pertaining  to  the  industry. 

I  would  also  recommend  that  the  public  be  made  acquainted 
with  your  standard  sizes  of  lumber.    The  local  contractor  is  criticised 
severely  and  the  architect  cussed  for  permitting  the  use  of  2x4's 
that  are  only  1^x3^,  or  joists  that  are  supposed  to  be  2x10  and    User  Should 
are  only  I^x9^;  and  hardly  that.     You  may  not  know,  but  the    giz^of  C1 
average  owner  imagines,  as  soon  as  the  material  is  hauled  on  the    Lumber. 
job,  that  he  is  being  robbed  from  the  start,  and  it  takes  some  very 
soft  handling   to   bring  him   back   into   line.     The   public   should 
know  this,  as  it  hurts  the  dealer,  the  builder  and  the  architect.    We 
get   enough   complaints   as   to   quality,   without   looking   for   com- 
plaints as  to  size. 

I  believe  the  lumber  dealer  should  interest  himself  in  the  bet- 
terment of  .housing  work,   especially  in  the  rural   districts.     The   |Home 
farmer  is  a  large  consumer  of  lumber.    They  are  buying  the  latest    Building 
farm  machinery  and  automobiles.     They  are  building  huge  barns    ?Je^tc 
and  cribs,   and  making  every  effort  to  improve   farm  conditions,    Country, 
but  they  have  neglected  their  houses.     The  Minnesota  commission 


184  SELLING    LUMBER 

has  done  good  work  in  this  line,  and  has  worked  out  model  farm 
houses.  It  means  business  for  the  lumber  man;  and  the  architect 
is  the  one  that  is  being  looked  to  for  the  helping  out  of  the  solution 
of  the  problem  of  the  return  to  country  living.  In  his  skill  and 
sympathetic  vision  he  is  called  upon  to  help  achieve  the  sort  of 
homes  that  will  truly  make  rural  life  really  worth  while.  An 
important  role,  therefore,  will  undoubtedly  be  played  by  him  during 
the  next  few  years,  in  furthering  to  success  the  country  life  move- 
ment. His  mission  is  indeed  a  vital  one,  for  when  country  homes 
are  made  both  convenient  and  'satisfying,  when  architectural  love- 
liness is  found  not  merely  in  the  rare  isolated  dwelling,  but  in 
whole  groups  and  colonies  of  homes,  country  living  will  be  in- 
vested with  a  new  charm. 

I  believe  that  much  good  comes  from  the  reading  of  your 
trade  papers.  Much  good  has  come  to  me  from  an  occasional 
reading  of  the  lumber  journals.  I  wish  I  had  the  time  to  read 
more  of  them.  I  urge  that  all  dealers  read  their  papers,  at  least 
take  the  covers  off,  and  not  leave  them  piled  up  in  the  office  like 
cord  wood.  The  trade  journal  is  the  medium  of  exchange  for  ideas 
in  all  trades.  It  is  the  strong  influence  for  co-operation  and  pub-  ( 
licity. 

There  is  a  vast  difference  in  business  —  °thods  of  the  present 

and  those  of  our  grandfathers.     I   have   found   some  very  good 

pointers  in  the  lumber  journals,  and  have  found  that  the  dealer  did 

Lumber         not  even  open  up  his  paper,  and  he  wondered  how  I  knew  what  I 

Dealers          knew.     I  think  the  lumber  dealer  is  carrying  too  many  side  lines 

Itfany  to  be  a  good  booster  for  lumber.     He  is  hurting  the  lumber  busi- 

Side  Lines,   ness  largely  by  carrying  the  cheap  substitutes  that  lead  me  to  doubt 

as  to  his  sincerity  when  he  comes  to  talk  lumber  with  me;  but 

then  that's  his  business.    If  I  don't  like  his  cheap  materials,  I  don't 

have  to  use  them,  and  I  won't,  take  it  from  me. 

I  believe  the  architect  of  today  is  a  friend  of  honest  lumber. 
We  are  using  other  materials  for  additional  fire  protection.  I 
am  a  large  user  of  steel  and  concrete  and  metals  in  my  work. 
I  build  re-inforced  concrete  factories,  office  buildings  and  houses. 
I  use  metal  doors  and  metal  trim,  and  wood  substitutes  of  all  kinds, 
Hazard"  not  because  of  any  feeling  against  lumber,  but  to  meet  certain 
conditions,  and  certain  hazards.  Now  the  strongest  objection 
against  lumber  in  construction  work  is  the  fact  that  fire  destroys 
it,  that  it  will  burn  under  certain  conditions,  and  yet  a  few  dollars 
wisely  spent  could  protect  it  from  fire  hazard,  and  yet  I  hear  no 


SELLING     LUMBER 


185 


one  coming  to  its  rescue.  If  I  were  a  lumber  man  I  would  protect 
my  product  from  the  abuse  and  condemnation  of  the  substitute 
materials.  Timbers  can  be  made  fire  retarding,  wood  shingles 
can  be  properly  laid,  siding  can  be  properly  treated,  and  foundation 
timber  and  posts  can  be  preserved. 

The  successful  selling  of  any  product  does  not  end  with 
the  sale.  It  is  the  follow-up  business  that  counts.  The  lumber 
man  should  show  more  faith  in  wood,  more  knowledge  in  his 
product,  and  be  more  honest  in  his  use  of  wood.  He  must  apply 
his  knowledge  in  his  yard.  He  must  show  his  faith  in  his  materials 
by  his  application.  He  can't  expect  to  compete  with  concrete  for 
certain  uses,  but  he  can  build  drives  out  of  wood  block.  He  can 
build  floors  for  his  sheds  out  of  wood  blocks,  and  he  doesn't  have 
to  roof  his  sheds  with  paper  roofing  that  puff  and  raise  with  the  as  a  User 
wind.  He  doesn't  have  to  pile  his  lumber  so  that  it  rots  from  end  of  Wood- 
to  end.  He  doesn't  have  to  line  his  office  with  patent  wall  board 
when  his  beaded  wainscoting  stock  is  waiting  to  be  used.  He  doesn't 
have  to  use  iron  gates  when  a  neat  ornamental  wooden  gate  is 
better  looking,  and  more  serviceable.  He  tells  his  customers  that 
paint  is  necessary  to  preserve  wood,  and  his  sheds  have  not  been 
painted  for  years,  and  then  probably  by  some  patent  advertising 
concern. 

The  lumber  man  must  believe  in  his  materials.  It  is  not  hard 
for  me  to  believe  in  them,  why  should  ft  be  for  him?  I  am  for 
lumber,  good  honest  lumber,  placed  in  the  position  where  it  be- 
longs, protected  as  it  should  be,  treated  as  its  beautiful  grain  calls 
for.  If  you  treat  lumber  right,  it  will  treat  you  right  for  years 
and  years  to  come. 

I  trust  I  have  made  myself  clear  as  to  what  I  consider  fair 
treatment  for  lumber.  I  have  enjoyed  my  recent  association  with 
the  lumber  fraternity,  and  have  acquired  considerable  valuable 
information  through  your  pamphlets  and  reports.  I  did  not  realize 
the  vast  amount  of  work  that  your  Association  has  been  doing  in 
technical  lines,  tests,  etc. 

I  believe  that  the  work  of  your  Association  is  one  of  the  im- 
portant movements  of  the  hour,  and  I  feel  that  I  am  only  doing 
my  duty  when  I  talk  in  favor  of  lumber. 


186  SELLINGLUMBER 

Cost  of  Production  from 
Pond  to  Sorting  Chain 

;        By  C.  J.  Mansfield 

General  Manager,  Arkansas  Lumber  Co. 
Warren,  Ark. 

In  talking  to  you  about  the  cost  of  producing  lumber,  hope 

I  can  analyze  that  part  of  it  allotted  to  me,  which  covers  from  Log 

Pond  to  Sorting  Chain  in  a  manner  that  will  make  it  clear  and 

give   you   an   insight   into   what   it   actually   costs   to   produce  the 

commodity   you   are   offering   for   sale.     Far   be   it   from   me   to 

criticize  the  ability  of  any  salesman,  because  you  are  all  good.     I 

Cost  of         know,  for  I  tried  to  be  one  once,  but  the  fact  remains  that  the 

Closely          weakest  department  of  our  business  is  that  of  the  Sales  Department, 

Watched.      and   this   is   not   all   chargeable   against   ability,   but  more   against 

methods.     The  principal  heads  of  our  business  think  nothing  of 

giving  consent  to  a  reduction  in  prices  of  25  cents  to  $1  per  thousand 

feet,  and  oftentimes  the  sales  managers  are  told  to  get  the  business 

regardless  of  what  it  costs  in  cut  prices,  but  if  cost  of  production 

increases  only  a  few  cents — right  then  the  big  thing  takes  place. 

We  must  not  overlook  the  fact  that  a  limit  has  been  placed 
on  the  ground  I  am  to  cover,  so  guess  had  better  get  back  where 
I  belong,  or  I  may  be  tramping  on  the  other  fellow's  toes.  Anyone 
in  charge  of  a  lumber  producing  plant  figures  cost  continually  and 
then  never  satisfies  himself,  or  his  stockholders.  "It  can't  be 
done."  In  talking  of  cost  from  Log  Pond  to  Sorting  Chain,  we  had 
best  begin  with  the  pond.  We  find  the  logs  have  been  placed  in 
the  pond  and  it  is  up  to  us  to  get  them  into  the  mill,  on  the  log 
deck  ready  for  the  carriage.  Some  mills  keep  cost  of  pond  opera- 
tion separate  from  sawmill ;  others  carry  the  two  together.  At  some 
mills  the  logs  are  handled  by  contract ;  a  stipulated  price  being  paid, 
which  varies  from  6  cents  to  10  cents  per  thousand  feet.  Other 
mills  have  their  ponds  operated  by  the  day,  paying  each  man  a 
certain  daily  wage.  To  arrive  at  cost  per  thousand*  feet  the  saw- 
mill deck  scale  is  used.  By  this  we  mean  the  total  cost  of  operat- 
ing the  pond  for  a  given  period — say  one  month — is  divided  by 
the  number  of  feet  cut  by  the  sawmill  for  the  same  period,  and  in 
that  way  you  arrive  at  the  cost  per  thousand  feet  for  that  month. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


187 


Conditions  have  to  do  with  pond  cost.  If  logs  are  small  and  run 
strong  to  sap,  they  sink  almost  as  soon  as  they  strike  the  water, 
and  this  brings  into  use  the  sinker  boat,  which  is  necessary  to 
float  these  logs  to  log  shute,  where  they  are  released  from  the  boat 
and  sent  up  into  the  mill.  Logs  of  this  character  are  more  ex- 
pensive to  handle  than  large  logs  with  less  sap,  which  float  high  Small  Logs 
and  are  easily  floated  to  the  chute.  Another  pond  expense  that 
does  not  come  at  regular  intervals  is  that  of  cleaning  pond  ot 
accumulation  of  bark  and  sunken  logs,  which  were  not  picked  up 
by  the  sinker  boat.  To  do  this  it  is  often  necessary  to  drain  the 
pond  of  all  water  and  refill  after  pond  is  clean.  Regardless  of  how 
it  is  done,  it  costs  money  and  from  one  to  three  thousand  dollars. 
This  pond  cleaning  cost  is  generally  in  excess  of  the  usual  daily 
operating  cost  and  is  not  always  shown  on  the  cost  sheet. 

The  next  item  of  expense  is  handling  the  logs  on  the  deck. 
I  might  say  here  that  this  is  a  part  of  the  sawmill  cost  and  like 
other  parts  of  the  sawmill,  is  considered  as  part  of  the  whole  saw- 
mill operation  as  far  as  computing  cost  is  concerned.  This  may 
not  be  true  of  all  mills,  but  think  it  is  with  a  majority  of  them* 
hence,  we  do  not  know  what  the  sealer,  filer,  sawyers,  edgermen 
and  other  labor  cost  per  thousand  feet  per  day,  month  or  year. 
However,  this  would  not  be  hard  to  compute  to  show  these  costs 
at  any  one  mill,  but  to  give  you  an  average  of  the  mills  in  the  pro- 
ducing territory  would  necessitate  the  gathering  together  and  com- 
piling figures,  which  I  did  not  have  the  time  to  do.  Foremen, 
filers,  sawyers,  edgermen  and  trimmermen  are  the  most  important  Factors 
as  depends  upon  them  the  amount  and  quality  of  lumber  produced  m  Mill 
each  day.  (Quality  referred  to  here  means  quality  of  manufacture 
and  not  natural  defects.)  However,  the  sawyer  has  to  do  with 
natural  defects  and  unless  he  understands' all  kinds  of  defects  and 
knows  how  best  to  saw  the  log  to  get  the  most  good  lumber  from  it, 
he  will  not  get  the  best  results.  Some  sawyers  are  required  to  cut 
for  quantity  regardless  of  quality  and  by  so  doing  produce  more 
lumber  in  a  given  time,  which  would  mean  less  cost  per  thousand 
feet,  and  would  also  mean  less  average  price  for  the  lumber  pro- 
duced. The  sawyer  who  is  instructed  to  saw  for  quality  will  pro- 
duce less  lumber  than  when  quantity  alone  is  considered,  but  lum« 
ber  that  will  sell  for  a  higher  average  price  and  enough  higher  to 
more  than  cover  the  difference  in  cost  of  production.  The  same 
reasoning  will  apply  to  the  edgerman  and  trimmerman.  From  the 
best  information  I  have,  it  costs,  from  the  time  the  logs  reach  the 


188 


SELLING     LUMBER 


deck  until  the  lumber  passes  the  trimmer  leaving  the  mill,   from 
$1  to  $1.50  per  thousand  feet. 

In  looking  over  the  figures  covering  the  comparative  cost  of 
shipments  prepared  by  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  and  covering 
a  large  number  of  mills,  the  following  amounts  cover  the  cost  of 
sawmill  manufacturing.  These  figures  cover  a  three  months' 
period  during  January,  February  and  March,  1916,  inclusively,  and 
are  per  thousand  per  board  measure. 

Operating  labor,  log  pond  to  sorting  chain $  1.562 

Depreciation  on  the  plant 698 

Association  Taxes ; 24° 

Figures  on  Insurance  (fire  and  tornado) 162 

Insurance  (liability) 041 

Office  expenses 205 

General  expenses,  including  overhead 436 

Interest  on  50%  of  capital  invested  in  the  busi- 
ness at  5% 984 

Add  to  the  above  figures  the  cost  of  logs  in  the 

pond  for  the  same  period,  which  was 7.141 

The   total   cost   of   green   lumbef   on   the   sorting 

chain  was $11.469 

In   closing   wish   to   say   that   all   mills   do  not  use  the   same 
methods  of  figuring  cost,  hence  do  not  get  the  same  results.     The 
Southern  Pine  Association  is  making  a  strong  effort  to  have  all  its 
subscribers  figure  cost  on  same  basis  and  by  so  doing  get  at  final 
The  Need      figures  in  some  way,  which  will  enable  comparison  to  be  made, 
of  Uniform    This  uniform  cost  accounting  undertaken  by  the  Association  should 
Accounting    have  the  suPPort  of  every  subscriber.     Let  me   suggest  that  the 
more  you  salesmen  know  about  the  cost  of  production,  the  better 
equipped  you  are  to  sell  lumber  at  a  profit  and  that  is  what  is  neces- 
sary to  make  the  producing  and  marketing  of  Southern  Pine  Lum- 
ber successful. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


189 


The  Yellow  Pine  Shingle 

By  J.  H.  Eddy 

General  Sales  Agent,  Kaul  Lumber  Co. 

Birmingham,  Ala. 

The  yellow  pine  shingle  constitutes  a  valuable  by-product  of 
our  industry,  which  has  been  at  once  very  badly  neglected  and 
very  sadly  abused.  With  a  great  natural  market  at  the  very  doors 
of  our  mills,  and  with  quantities  of  material  at  hand  which  Could 
by  a  simple  operation  and  at  small  outlay  be  turned  into  a  product 
to  perfectly  meet  this  existing  demand,  we  have  failed  to  see  and 
take  advantage  of  our  opportunity.  But  few  of  our  well  managed 
and  well  equipped  mills  have  attempted  the  manufacture  of  shin- 
gles at  all,  and  those  which  have  done  so  have  not  as  a  rule  seemed 
to  realize  the  importance  of  the  product,  for  they  have  not  given 
due  consideration  to  what  is  required  of  a  roofing  material,  that 
they  might  meet  these  requirements,  nor  have  they  concerned  them- 
selves with  the  methods  of  application  used  by  the  consumer  and 
his  agents.  Thus,  while  millions  of  yellow  pine  shingles  have 
been  manufactured  annually,  they  have  been  produced  by  small, 
poorly  equipped  mills,  and  from  inferior  material,  without  any  re- 
gard whatever  for  requirements.  And  these  shingles  have  been 
applied  in  a  most  haphazard  way,  which  could  not  fail  to  give 
bad  results. 

We  have  not  only  failed  to  take  advantage  of  a  splendid 
opportunity  to  serve  the  public  and  benefit  ourselves,  but  our  neg- 
lect has  given  the  substitute  manufacturer  his  opportunity. 

Happily,  we  are  at  last  awake  to  the  situation,  and  are  now 
prepared  to  offer  proper  specifications  for  the  manufacture  and 
use  of  the  yellow  pine  shingle,  which  we  wish  to  lay  before  you, 
and  which  we  believe  will  re-establish  the  product.  The  purpose  of 
this  paper  is  to  discuss  this  project,  and  to  enlist  your  co-operation 
in  carrying  it  through. 

For  the  purposes  of  this  discussion,  we  may  safely  assume 
the  existence  of  a  sufficient  market  for  our  product ;  we  may  even 
assume  a  decided  preference  on  the  part  of  the  home  builder  for 
this  very  product,  the  wood  shingle.  Wood  has  been  his  favorite 
building  material  since  that  time  from  which  the  memory  of  man 


A  Valuable 
By-Product 
Neglected. 


190  SELLING     LUMBER 


runneth  not  to  the  contrary,  and  we  have  but  to  learn  and  to  meet 
his  requirements  to  retain  this  preference  in  future. 
The  Require-  What,  then,  is  required  of  a  roofing  material? 

Roofing  We  find  that  to  be  acceptable  it  must  be  capable  of  producing 

Material.  a   roof   that   is   tight    and   durable,    resisting    reasonably    well    the 

attacks  of  wind,  weather  and  time;  that  it  must  insulate  against 
extremes  of  heat  and  cold;  that  it  must  serve  artistic  purposes; 
that  it  must  be  available  at  a  reasonable  cost ;  be  easy  of  applica- 
tion and  call  for  no  extra  investment  in  weight  or  strength  of  the 
structure  it  is  to  cover.  Experience  and  observation  have  already 
taught  us  that  our  material  meets  every  one  of  these  requirement's, 
and  to  a  remarkable  degree.  History  tells  that  shingles  have  been 
used  as  a  roof  covering  from  time  immemorial,  definite  record  ex- 
isting of  the  use  of  shingles  in  England-  in  pre-Norman  times ; 
many  samples  of  these  still  exist,  it  is  said,  especially  on  the  wooden 
towers  and  spires  of  East  Anglia.  We  all  know  that  the  old- 
fashioned  shingle  of  generous  thickness,  split  or  "rived"  out  of 
first  class  heart  pine  or  cypress,  has  stood  the  test  of  time  better 
than  any  other  material  available  to  the  average  home  builder. 

The  more  modern  sawn  shingle,  made  from  the  same  material, 

when  qf  proper  size  and  properly  used,  lasts  a  lifetime,  and  more; 

it  makes  a  water-tight,  durable,  and  highly  artistic  roof  covering ; 

it  is  easily  applied ;  it  is  light  in  weight,  calling  for  no  extra  strength 

in  the  frame  of  the  building  k  covers;  wood  is  the  poorest  con- 

The  Superior    ductor  of  heat  or  cold  available  for  the  purpose,  and  hence  is  most 

ShirTle      a       suitable   for  use   in   any  climate;   it  takes   stain  or  paint   readily, 

Roof.  making  possible  a  wide  range  of  treatment  for  color  ef feet,  as  well 

as  increasing  the  life  of  the  roof.     Lastly,  the  shingle  roof  may  be 

constructed  at  a  first  cost  lower  than  that  of  the  cheapest  of  the 

substitutes  which  are  comparable  in  point  of  service.    The  ultimate 

cost  of  the  shingle  roof  is  far  below  that  of  any  of  the  materials 

offered  in  competition. 

In  point  of  comparison  as  to  beauty  and  artistic  effects  possi- 
ble with  the  different  materials,  all  of  our  competitors  fall  by  the 
wayside,  except  perhaps  tile  and  slate,  and  these  are  so  expensive 
as  to  be  entirely  beyond  the  reach  of  the  average  man,  whose  neces- 
sities we  are  discussing. 

Of  late  years,  as  the  result  of  the  upbuilding  of  cities  where 
our  dwelling  places  are  crowded  together,  a  new  demand  is  made 
upon  roofing  material;  that  it  shall  be  fireproof,  to  minimize  the 
danger  of  fire  spreading  from  building  to  building.  And  here  it  is 


SELLINGLUMBER  191 

that  our  careless  methods,  our  failure  to  study  requirements,  and 

our    ill-advised  'efforts    to   meet    competition   have    recoiled   most 

heavily  upon  us.     Through  the  use  of  unsuitable  material  in  the    Efforts'to 

manufacture  of  shingles,  and  making  them  too  thin  and  too  wide,    Meet 

to  say  nothing  of  the  crowning  folly  of  kiln-drying  them,  we  have 

laid  our  product  open  to  criticism  and  attack. 

The  substitute  manufacturer  was  not  slow  to  see  this  oppor- 
tunity to  discredit  the  shingle  by  charging  it  with  the  responsibility 
for  a  very  heavy  percentage  of  the  annual  national  fire  loss.  He 
has  spilled  oceans  of  printers'  ink  in  giving  publicity  to  his  claims 
for  his  own  products,  and  his  charges  against  ours ;  while  we  have 
made  our  usual  mistake  of  sitting  tight  and  saying  nothing.  We 
might  have  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  bad  methods  of  applica- 
tion were  more  to  blame  than  poor  material  and  unsuitable  sizes; 
that  roofs  should  be  painted  when  made  of  shingles,  as  is  absolutely 
necessary  with  most  of  the  substitute  materials;  that  as  a  matter 
of  actual  fact,  the  biggest  part  of  the  fire  loss  occurs  in  the  busi- 
ness sections  of  cities  where  shingles  are  not  used,  and  where  we 
have  never  recommended  that  they  be  used,  while  a  very  big  part 
of  the  dwelling  fire  loss  covers  the  contents,  which  would  burn 
just  the  same  in  a  stone  house  under  a  cast-iron  roof,  and  which 

do  burn  daily  in  brick  and  stone  houses,  under  roofs  of  alleged    „,  . 

oningles 
fireproof  qualities.     We  might  have  mentioned  flimsy  construction,    the  Fire 

defective  wiring,  defective  flues,  and  the  light-hearted  carelessness  Hazard. 
about  fire  hazards  which  is  so  characteristic  of  the  average  American 
city  dweller.  One  or  another  of  these  last  named  causes  is  really 
responsible  for  probably  ninety  per  cent  of  the  fires  charged  to 
shingles.  It  will  be  observed  that  shingles  are  used  almost  ex- 
clusively on  country  houses,  and  in  small  towns,  where  the  fire 
losses  are  very  small,  and  that  these  shingles  are  almost  never 
painted.  This  means  that  the  hazards  of  human  carelessness,  of 
cheap  construction,  defective  wiring  and  defective  flues,  which 
are  greatly  reduced  or  altogether  lacking  in  country  and  village, 
are  really  responsible  for  the  fires  which  are  charged  to  shingles 
in  the  cities.  It  will  be  observed  further  that  practically  every 
conflagration  which  renews  the  outcry  against  shingles,  starts  in 
city  districts  where  the  shingle  never  was  used ;  such  fires  con- 
sume everything — a  concrete  or  brick  dwelling  yields  as  quickly  as 
does  the  frame  structure.  There  are  innumerable  instances  of  fire 
leaving  untouched  the  frame  building  with  shingle  roof,  while 
it  consumes  brick  and  slate  or  iron  on  either  side. 


192 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Time 
Has  Come 
for  Action. 


New  Speci- 
fications for 
Laying 
Shingles. 


We  had  the  best  of  the  argument  from  a  dozen  different  angles, 
but  we  sat  tight  and  said  nothing.,  partly  because  we  were  un- 
organized, and  partly  because  there  is  not  the  enormous  gross 
profit  in  our  product  which  alone  makes  possible  an  expensive  and 
unending  advertising  campaign  such  as  the  substitute  manufacturer 
wages  constantly. 

The  thing  has  finally  gone  so  far  that  we  are  compelled  to 
do  something ;  inasmuch  as  some  of  the  cities  have  been  induced  to 
pass  ordinances  prohibiting  the  use  of  the  shingle,  and  the  fire 
insurance  people  are  working  with  the  substitute  manufacturer  to 
put  us  out  of  business  altogether  on  the  shingle  proposition.  What 
we  lack  more  than  anything  else  is  statistics  compiled  by  some 
capable  and  unbiased  agency — such  as  might  be  established  by  the 
Government  for  instance,  and  which  would  not  only  ascertain  the 
facts,  but  publish  them. 

Fortunately  it  is  easy  to  demonstrate  the  comparative  fire- 
resisting  and  wearing  qualities  of  properly  made  shingles,  properly 
laid,  and  of  the  composition  stuff  urged  as  a  safe  substitute ;  and 
it  is  easy  to  point  out  what  constitutes  a  properly  made  shingle  and 
how  it  should  be  laid  and  treated. 

Tentative  specifications  covering  all  of  this  have  recently 
been  adopted  by  the  grading  committee  of  the  Southern  Pine  As- 
sociation, copies  of  which  have  been  distributed  among  you,  and  we 
will  refer  to  these  in  detail  in  a  few  minutes ;  we  ask  that  you 
study  these  specifications  carefully,  and  give  us  the  benefit  of 
your  suggestions,  also  that  you  aid  us  by  giving  this  information  trie 
widest  possible  publicity,  that  the  consuming  public  may  know  ex- 
actly what  to  demand  in  the  way  of  shingles,  and  methods  of  roof 
construction.  The  paint  manufacturers  are  co-operating  with  us 
and  will  put  on  the  market  suitable  mineral  paints  properly  labeled, 
while  the  engineering  department  of  the  Association  and  the  Forest 
Products  Laboratory  are  working  out  formulae  for  chemical  treat- 
merits  which  we  believe  will  be  equally  effective  in  making  shingles 
fire-resistant,  and  to  a  higher  degree  than  is  or  ever  can  be  true 
of  rags  and  paper  covered  with  tar. 

Our  specifications  covering  the  manufacture  of  shingles  and 
the  construction  of  shingle  roofs  rest  upon  careful  inquiry,  ex- 
perimentation and  observation ;  we  believe  them  to  be  sound  and 
adequate ;  they  provide  for  shingles  of  thickness  and  width  de- 
signed to  make  a  tight  and  durable  roof  when  properly  laid,  one  in 
which  shingles  will  not  curl  or  crack,  and  which  when  properly 


CELLING     LUMBER 


193 


painted  will  prove  as  nearly  fireproof  as  it  is  possible  to  make 
roofing  material,  and  keep  it  within  the  reach  of  the  average  man. 
What  we  have  to  ask  you  is  that  you  study  this  subject  closely, 
and  that  in  your  home  towns  and  wherever  you  go,  you  give  pub- 
licity to  the  facts  about  the  wood  shingle.  You  will  find  sympathetic 
listeners  everywhere,  for  the  public  likes  the  shingle,  and  has  been 
led  to  view  it  with  suspicion  against  its  will,  if  at  all.  Tell  the 
house  owner  who  has  been  made  afraid  of  that  great,  big  bugaboo, 
old  "sparks  on  the  roof,"  that  a  good  coat  of  mineral  paint  will 
fix  him  up  if  his  roof  is  reasonably  sound  and  well  laid;  tell  him 
to  ask  his  city  government  for  an  ordinance  requiring  that  shingle 
roofs  shall  be  constructed  under  our  specifications,  which  will 
serve  every  purpose  of  public  safety,  and  conservation  of  property, 
instead  of  interfering  with  individual  rights  so  dear  to  the  Amer- 
ican heart,  and  enacting  class  legislation  in  favor  of  a  certain  group 
of  manufacturers.  Tell  the  citizens  and  the  local  legislators  of 
every  city  that  the  greatest  single  thing  that  can  be  done  to  aid 
in  the  upbuilding  of  a  great  city  and  the  advancement  of  all  of  its 
people  is  to  encourage  to  the  greatest  possible  extent  the  building 
and  owning  of  homes  by  its  citizens,  and  that  anything  which  re- 
tards in  any  degree  this  tendency  will  inevitably  prove  detrimental 
to  the  growth  and  permanency  of  that  city.  To  encourage  home 
building  it  is  necessary  to  place  within  the  reach  of  the  home 
builder  at  the  lowest  possible  cost,  the  most  suitable,  desirable  and 
artistic  home  within  his  means.  The  use  of  any  other  material  than 
the  shingle  as  a  roof  covering  for  the  modest  home  is  to  decrease 
the  desirability  of  that  home  while  increasing  its  cost;  there  is  no 
known  roofing  material  that  can  take  the  place  of  the  shingle,  ex- 
cept at  greatly  increased  cost,  in  usefulness,  permanency  and  beauty. 


The  Public 

Likes 

Shingles. 


Facts  for 

Shingle 

Users. 


194  SELLINGLUMBER 

Why  //^Salesman  Must 
:       Know  Grades 

By  W.  J.  Haynen 

Chairman,  Grading  Committee 

Southern  Pine  Association 
Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

The  subject  assigned  to  me  is  a  very  large  one  and  probably 
more  important  now  than  ever  before,  on  account  of  the  keener 
competition,  not  only  between  various  other  kinds  of  woods  that  are 
marketed  in  the  same  market  as  yellow  pine,  but,  also,  on  account 
of  the  increased  use  and  advertising  of  substitutes. 

The  attack  that  has  been  made  on  wood  construction  in  all 
parts  of  the  country  by  the  different  building  codes  has  also  added 
greatly  to  the  decreased  use  of  lumber,  and  it  becomes  necessary 
for  the  manufacturers  of  lumber  to  take  some  active  steps  to  at 
once  bring  about  a  change  in  this  condition  of  affairs,  and  to  edu- 
Causesof  cate,  not  only  the  architects,  builders,  contractors,  but  the  general 

Decreased  public,  concerning  the  uses  of  our  wood.     That  is  one  of  the  reasons 

Use  o  umber  ^  southern  pme  Association  came  into  existence  and  made  rapid 
progress  in  its  work.  That  is  the  reason  that  that  Association, 
through  its  grading  committee  adopted  for  the  use  of  yellow  pine 
timbers  what  is  known  as  the  "Density  Rule,"  simply  and  purely 
to  educate  the  people  into  a  method  to  be  used  to  identify  and 
grade  the  timber  so  as  to  increase  its  sales.  Not  alone  did  the 
public  need  the  education,  but  manufacturers,  and  the  salesmen  of 
the  manufacturers  require  a  lot  of  this  education ;  that  is  why 
you  are  here  today  attending  a  SCHOOT  OF  SALESMANSHIP, 
and  I  will  say  very  plainly  to  you  now  that  if,  as  salesmen  of  yellow 
pine  lumber,  you  do  not  increase  the  sales  of  your  product  at  least 
as  rapidly  per  capita  as  the  increase  of  population  a  great  many 
of  you  will  shortly  be  seeking  positions  in  other  industries  because 
Duty  of  the  there  will  be  no  room  for  you  in  the  lumber  industry.  It  is  a  very 
Lumber  lamentable  fact  that  the  lumber  consumption  of  this  country  has 

declined  50  board  feet  per  capita,  or  10  per  cent  in  the  past  ten 
years.  Who  is  responsible  for  this?  You  may  say  it  is  the  man- 
ufacturer— he  will  probably  reply  it  is  the  other  commodities  that 
come  in  competition  with  yellow  pine,  but  it  does  not  matter  who 


SELLING     LUMBER 


195 


is  responsible,  we  have  got  to  correct  it,  and  you  have  got  to  give 
close  attention  to  the  work  of  this  meeting  and  take  advantage  of 
what  is  brought  out  in  this  meeting,  so  you  can  change  this  condi- 
tion of  affairs.  You  are  partly  responsible  and  it  is  to  your  direct 
interest  to  bring  about  an  improvement  in  this  condition  just  as 
quickly  as  possible,  and  make  an  increase  .in  the  use  of  lumber. 

With  the  present  prices  of  steel  and  iron  and  all  other  com- 
modities that  come  in  competition  with  wood  for  building  purposes, 
brought  about  mostly  by  the  large  increase  in  the  cost  of  manufac- 
ture of  these  substitutes,  your  path  along  these  lines  should  be  a 
great  deal  easier  than  formerly,  but  to  be  able  to  do  this  in  a  most 
intelligent  and  satisfactory  manner  and  to  be  successful  in  the  end, 
there  are  several  things  you  will  have  to  do  before  you  can  expect 
any  result  from  this  co-operative  work. 

You  have  heard  almost  daily  a  great  deal  in  the  past  year  or 
two  about  Preparedness,  that  is  preparing  this  Nation  for  any 
eventualities  that  may  overtake  it,  either  in  war,  commercial  com- 
petition, or  in  many  of  the  duties  of  our  Government.  You,  as 
salesmen,  and  as  sellers  of  yellow  pine  should  adopt  that  motto  of 
Preparedness  and  prepare  yourself  so  as  to  meet  the  conditions  as 
they  come  up  in  the  handling  and  selling  of  this  product,  and  if 
you  do  not  the  yellow  pine  product  will  become  a  pauper  product 
and  no  one  will  care  about  representing  it. 

The  Southern  Pine  Association  has  been  working  along  Pre- 
paredness lines  for  the  past  eighteen  months  for  the  benefit  of  the 
lumber  manufacturer,  both  large  and  small,  and  if  you  have  not 
taken  the  full  advantage  of  their  activities  you  have  failed  to  pre- 
pare yourself  and,  consequently,  you  are  headed  for  the  rocks. 

This  meeting  has  been  financed  and  organized,  not  only  to 
help  the  industry,  but  to  help  every  employee  connected  with  it, 
and  among  them,  are  you.  The  organizers  of  this  movement  cannot 
do  it  all,  and  to  make  a  success  of  it  they  must  have  the  earnest  and 
intelligent  co-operation  of  everyone  connected  with  our  large  in- 
dustry, and  as  you  are  the  direct  connection,  the  agency,  between 
the  manufacturer  and  the  consumer,  there  is  no  one  connected  with 
this  industry  that  has  greater  power  or  greater  opportunity  for  pre- 
senting and  scattering  this  information  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  land,  and  after  you  have  thoroughly  understood  the 
efforts  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  and  had  a  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  the  product  that  they  are  working  so  earnestly  and  intelli- 


High  Prices 
of  Competitive 
Materials 
Help 


The  Associa- 
tion Practices 
"Prepared- 
ness" 


196 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Do  You  Know 
the  Density 
Rule? 


Thorough 
Knowledge 
Essential 
to  Good 
Salesmanship 


gently  for  we  should  be  able  to  reflect  a  great  deal  of  improve- 
ment, both  in  the  consumption  and  the  marketing  of  our  product. 
The  Southern  Pine  Association  perfected  and  made  the  pres- 
ent very  simple  and  satisfactory  rule  called  the  "Density  Rule"  so 
as  to  increase  the  use  and  the  sales  of  lumber.  In  this  they  have 
been  assisted  by  the  United  States  Forestry  Service  and  the  Amer- 
ican Society  for  Testing  Materials,  and  this  rule  is  endorsed  by 
both  of  these  bodies,  and  with  this  endorsement  it  stands  out  as 
the  most  perfect  rule  to  grade  Southern  Pine  timbers  by,  and  you 
should  never  have  to  apologize  in  the  use  of  this  rule  in  either 
the  selling  or  inspection  of  timbers. 

They  have  printed  tons  of  literature  on  this  subject  They 
have  spent  thousands  of  dollars  in  postage  to  get  this  rule  and  all 
its  benefits  before  you.  The  manufacturer  outside  of  the  Associa- 
tion has  done  the  same,  and  I  would  like  to  ask  each  and  every 
one  of  you.  Do  you  know  and  can  you  grade  timbers  under  the 
"Density  Rule"?  If  you  cannot,  all  our  labor  has  been  lost,  and 
you  are  not  going  to  be  successful  in  selling  and  marketing  timbers 
under  it  unless  you  are  thoroughly  acquainted  with  it.  Your  timber 
sales  will  fall  off  and  your  employer  will  state  you  are  a  failure  in 
your  business. 

He  may  not  discharge  you,  but  he  certainly  will  not  increase 
your  salary  and  as  his  business  decreases  your  success  in  your 
chosen  field  of  business  will  be  very  small  indeed,  and  if  you  do 
not  know  the  grades  very  thoroughly  as  established  by  our  Associa- 
tion, my  advice  to  you  now,  is  that  promptly  at  the  close  of  this 
meeting  you  so  notify  your  sales  manager  or  the  proper  officers  of 
your  company  and  request  him  or  them  to  take  you  at  once  to  the 
mills,  there  to  let  you  remain  until  you  do  know  them,  and  become 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  grades  and  manufacture  of  timbers.  It 
does  not  matter  how  long  it  will  take  to  learn  them;  it  does  not 
matter  what  difficulties  are  placed  in  your  way,  learning  them  will 
be  the  only  way  you  will  be  able  to  talk  intelligently  and  sell  yel- 
low pine  successfully  in  the  face  of  the  competition  from  other  lum- 
ber and  substitutes. 

There  is  not  a  man  living  that  can  successfully  sell  a  com- 
modity or  product  like  lumber  unless  he  is  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  that  commodity  or  product  fron  its  initial  point  of  production 
to  its  final  resting  place  in  the  building,  structure  or  whatever  it 
may  be  used  for.  He  must  not  only  know  about  is  growth,  but  he 


SELLING     LUMBER 


197 


must  know   its   cost,   its  grades  and  its   entire  process  of   manu- 
facture. 

Do  you  receive,  and  do  you  read,  and  remember,  and  put  into 
daily  use,  the  data  furnished  you  by  this  Association  through  its 
officers  and  through  the  officers  of  your  company?  If  you  do  not, 
you  had  better  get  busy  and  change  your  course,  because  it  is 
necessary.  Do  you  know  the  timber  and  grading  rules  thoroughly 
enough  to  be  able  to  tell  the  prospective  customer  or  builder  what 
grade  he  wants  for  the  purpose  intended?  If  you  do  not  know 
this  how  can  you  sell  them? 

So  go  and  learn  the  grades  of  timber  and  lumber  and  see  how 
much  better  you  are  able  to  do,  see  how  much  better  you  are  forti- 
fied to  defend  lumber  when  it  becomes  necessary,  see  how  much 
better  able  you  are  to  talk  lumber  and,  greater  than  all,  you  will 
quickly  see  how  much  more  lumber  you  can  sell.  You  will  become 
a  much  more  valuable  man  to  your  company  and  in  the  end  you  will 
secure  personal  benefits,  progress  in  your  work,  increased  com- 
pensation and  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  you  have  done  a  good 
job.  Your  employer  will  also  benefit  through  your  increased  knowl- 
edge, but  remember,  until  he  does  get  benefits  you  will  not  get  any, 
and  if  his  business  goes  backward  you  will  go  backward,  too. 

Also,  state  honestly  and  definitely  what  you  can  furnish,  both 
as  to  grade,  quality  and  delivery,  and  you  can  only  do  this  by 
keeping  in  close  touch  with  the  mills  at  all  times.  Never  be  afraid 
to  request  information  that  you  should  have. 

The  manufacturers  of  this  product  have  awakened  to  the  fact 
that  if  they  get  the  best  results  they  have  got  to  keep  you  posted, 
and  while  there  may  be  a  few  here  and  there  that  are  working  along 
the  old  lines,  they  will  change  or  go  out  of  business.  By  getting 
this  information  and  improving  your  minds  you  will  become  a  lum- 
ber specialist  in  all  of  its  branches  and  ramifications,  and  you  will 
cease  being  a  lumber  "peddler"  or  order  getter  only. 

Never  be  afraid  to  condemn  the  use  of  yellow  pine  if  it  is 
not  fitted  for  the  purposes  intended — say  so,  and  do  not  sell  any- 
one yellow  pine  that  will  fail  in  the  object  that  he  or  they  want 
it  for.  You  may  lose  one  sale,  but  you  will  greatly  increase  the 
respect  and  make  friends  for  our  industry  which  will  increase  its 
sales,  and  if  this  policy  had  been  carried  out  in  the  past  with  in- 
telligent co-operation  between  all  branches  of  the  industry  we  would 
not  now  be  able  to  provide  enough  of  this  product  to  take  care  of 
the  demand.  Instead  of  this,  what  have  we  done?  In  the  past  its 


Keep  in  Close 
Touch  With 
the  Mills 


See  That 
Yellow  Pine 
Is  Properly 
Used 


198  SELLINGLUMBER 

uses  have  been  abused  badly  and  the  consequence  is  many  people 
will  not  use  lumber  and  we  have,  as  stated  before,  a  decrease  of 
nearly  10  per  cent  per  capita  in  the  past  ten  years. 

Yellow  pine  timbers   are  the  best  timbers   in  the  world   for 

building  or   structural  purposes.     This  is   fully   acknowledged   by 

all  reputable  engineers.    Architects  are  willing  to  recommend  them 

at  all  times,  provided  they  can  get  the  grades  required.     Yellow 

The  World's       P*ne  timbers  show  a  greater  strength  than  any  other  wood;  they 

Best  Struct-        show  greater  durability  if  the  manufacturer  will  ship  according  to 

ural  Timbers      gra(jes  established   for  this   purpose.     That  is   what  the  "Density 

Rule"  on  timbers  was  for,  and  you,  as  salesmen  of  this  product, 

must  thoroughly  learn  the  rule  and  establish   it  so  as  to  market 

your  product  and  increase  its  uses. 

We  have  five  distinct  grades  of  timber : 
Heart  Timbers, 
No.  1  Common  Timbers, 
Square  and  Sound  Timbers, 
Merchantable  Timbers, 
Select  Structural  Material. 

I  am  not  going  to  read  you  the  rules  of  each  grade. 
It  is  just  as  much  your  business  to  be  acquainted  thoroughly 
with  these  rules  as  it  is  mine  or  any  other  manufacturer.  If  you 
do  not  know  them,  you  had  better  get  busy  and  learn  them.  If  you 
do  know  them  you  had  better  study  them  and  find  out  more  about 
them.  Each  and  every  one  of  these  grades  will  fill  a  suitable  our- 
pose  in  the  building  line. 

An  inferior  grade  will  not  successfully  take  the  place  of  a 
superior  grade  if  substituted.     You  should  not  and  must  not  sell  a 
The  Right       grade  of  timber  that  will  fail  in  its  intended  use.     If  you  do  this 
Righ?  Place,6   ^ou  have  hurt  and  you  have  helped  to  demoralize  the  industry  and 
to  decrease  the  use  of  lumber  on  account  of  its  failure. 
So  in  closing,  let  me  give  you  this  advice : 
First — Learn  the  grades  thoroughly. 
Second — Preach  the  use  of  wood,  especially  yellow  pine. 
Third — Be  honest  with  your  employer,  your  customer  and  your 
competitor. 

Fourth — Establish  and  keep  in  operation  a  constant  supply  of 
information  between  the  sources  of  production  and  consumption. 

•  Fifth — Utilize  this  information  when  you  get  it,  so  as  to  in- 
crease the  consumption,  so  to  bring  prosperity  to  the  industry  as  a 
whole,  which  will  in  the  end  bring  more  prosperity  to  you. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


199 


The  Merits  of  Wood  and  Its 
Limitations 

By  E.  A.  Sterling  * 

Manager,  Trade  Extension  Department 

National   Lumber   Manufacturers'  Association 

Chicago,  111. 

Wood  has  many  merits  which  were  discovered  in  the  early  days 
of  civilization.  These  remain  unchanged  because  the  .material 
itself  is  the  same.  The  only  great  difference  is  in  the  manner  in 
which  wood  is  used.  Customs  and  manner  of  living  have  changed, 
bringing  similar  changes  in  the  uses  of  wood,  but  not  influencing  its 
merits. 

Wood  first  has  the  merit  of  being  available  nearly  everywhere. 
This  was  one  of  the  reasons  it  became  the  almost  universal  ma- 
terial for  the  shelter  and  protection  of  mankind.  The  distribution 
of  trees  has  determined  the  fate  of  empires.  Where  forests  have 
been  cut  and  destroyed,  and  the  land  has  become  barren  and  un- 
productive, people  have  had  to  move  elsewhere.  Regions  which  were 
once  thickly  populated  are  now  almost  abandoned  because  the  trees, 
and  with  them  the  water,  the  soil  and  the  building  material,  have 
gone. 

Today  railroad  and  other  transportation  facilities  tend  to  pre- 
vent such  close  utilization  of  the  immediately  available  wood.  It  can 
now  be  shipped  from  places  where  it  grows  to  regions  where  it  is 
used.  In  our  own  country  the  treeless  West  does  not  suffer  especi- 
ally because  few  trees  grow,  since  lumber  is  shipped  in  from  other 
regions.  The  same  merits  create  a  demand  for  wood  whether  it  is 
used  where  it  grows  or  elsewhere. 

Another  merit  which  always  has  and  always  will  make  people 
want  to  use  wood,  is  that  it  is  easily  cut  and  shipped.  Stone  is 
hard  to  make  into  blocks,  is  heavy  to  carry,  and  for  simple  structures 
is  not  so  convenient  to  use.  Brick  and  the  many  other  products 
made  of  clay,  are  serviceable  and  have  merit,  but  they  are  more  diffi- 
cult to  make  and  use  than  wood.  Trees  can  be  cut  down  even  with 
primitive  tools.  They  can  be  fashioned  into  implements,  weapons 
and  many  other  forms.  The  merits  of  workability  applies  especially 
to  the  individual  worker  or  builder  who  wishes  material  which  he 


Treeless 
Regions 
Saved  by 
Railroads. 


Wood's 
Workability 
Appeals  to 
the  Individ- 
ual User. 


200 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Combined 
with  Strength, 


The 

Superior 
Beauty  of 
Wood. 


can  fashion  with  his  own  hands.  The  early  settlers  simply  felled 
the  trees  and  with  rude  tools  piled  the  logs  into  strong,  substantial 
cabins  and  stockades.  The  same  workable  feature  applies  all  down 
the  line  and  into  wood-  working  establishments.  The  log  house  of 
the  settler  has  been  replaced  by  the  frame  and  board  house  of  the 
present  times,  simply  because  it  was  found  how  wood  could  be 
worked  into  many  convenient  forms  by  machinery. 

Lightness  and  strength  are  other  merits.  Wood  weighs  less 
than  any  other  commonly  used  building  material.  It  can  be  trans- 
ported cheaply  ;  can  be  lifted  and  carried  without  difficulty  by  work- 
men, and  when  placed  in  a  building  or  structure,  does  not  tend  to 
break  it  down  by  its  own  weight.  Even  with  this  merit  of  lightness 
it  has  greater  strength,  weight  for  weight,  than  iron  or  steel.  It 
not  on^  w^  carry  heavy  loads,  but  it  gives  and  bends  before  it 
breaks,  and  usually  gives  warning  before  an  actual  fracture  occurs. 
As  an  example  of  present  application  of  these  combined  merits  of 
lightness  and  strength,  it  has  been  found  that  railroad  trestles  in 
some  cases  when  constructed  of  steel  and  concrete  are  too  heavy. 
To  carry  even  the  upper  portion  or  deck  very  strong  supports  are 
necessary,  even  before  the  weight  of  the  trains  or  locomotives  is  con- 
sidered. 

Wood  possesses  another  advantage  which  exists  in  few  other 
materials.  This  is  in  connection  with  heat  and  cold.  We  often 
hear  it  said  that  wooden  buildings  are  coolest  in  summer  and  warm- 
est in  winter.  This  is  for  the  very  simple  reason  that  wood  is  a 
poor  conductor  of  heat,  and  by  the  same  token  a  poor  conductor  of 
cold.  In  other  words,  heat  does  not  readily  pass  through  wood, 
because  it  is  porous,  and  the  dead  air  spaces  are  the  best  possible 
non-conductors.  Some  experiments  conducted  in  Europe  showed 
that  a  frame  house  with  7/16  inch  clap  boards,  building  paper, 
sheathing,  lath  and  plaster  was  equivalent  to  a  20-inch  sandstone 
wall.  Such  a  wooden  wall  retains  heat  much  better  than  a  brick 
wall  or  any  other  mineral  building  material. 

Then  there  comes  a  merit  which  especially  appeals  to  every 
one,  and  that  is  the  beauty  of  wood.  The  wonderful  grain  which  can 
be  brought  out  with  proper  finish,  the  softness  of  texture,  and  the 
varying  effects  appeal  to  every  one.  Moreover,  it  is  not  necessarily 
the  prominently  grained  woods  which  make  the  strongest  appeal  for 
beauty,  because  one  tires  of  extreme  effects.  Just  plain,  everyday 
wood,  as  it  is  used  in  millions  of  homes,  gives  continued  satisfaction 


SELLINGLUMBER  201 

because  it  is  restful  and  seems  to  have  an  intimate  relation  with  the 
individual  who  lives  with  it. 

Among  the  many  other  merits  might  be  mentioned  the  adapta- 
bility of  wood  as  a  building  material.  It  can  be  used  for  a  greater 
number  of  purposes  than  any  other  material,  and  it  seems  to  be 
just  the  proper  thing  in  the  majority  of  cases.  The  factor  of  cost 
is  also  an  important  one,  which  explains  why  the  strongest  com- 
petition fails  to  replace  wood  as  the  universal  building  material.  The 
large  supply  may  also  be  considered  a  merit,  because  the  best  in- 
formation shows  that  there  is  enough  timber  still  standing  to  sup- 
ply the  needs  of  the  nation  for  practically  all  time  if  it  is  properly 
used  and  conserved. 

In  considering  the  merits  of  wood  we  should  not  shut  our  eyes 
to  its  limitations.  Like  all  good  things,  it  is  not  perfect.  Every  one 
knows  that  wood  decays  when  exposed  to  the  weather  or  in  moist 
situations.  In  fact,  even  in  the  interior  of  buildings,  where  moisture 
is  present  only  in  the  air,  some  forms  of  decay  develop.  This,  how- 
ever, is  a  limitation  which  nearly  all  materials  have.  Iron  rusts, 
brick  and  stone  crumble,  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  proper  pro- 
tection which  determines  which  material  lasts  the  longest.  The 
public  in  recent  years  has  heard  much  about  the  fact  that  wood 
burns,  and  unquestionably  it  does.  It  is  fortunate  that  this  is  so,  gome 
because  thousands  of  homes  are  still  warmed  in  winter  because  wood  Limitations 
burns,  and  it  was  not  many  centuries  ago  that  wood  was  practically  °  °°  * 
the  only  fuel  known.  When  placed  in  a  building  wood  continues 
to  burn.  It  is  also  a  fact  that  brick  buildings,  or  stone  buildings,  or 
concrete  buildings  also  burn,  even  though  the  materials  themselves 
may  not  be  actually  consumed.  The  sensible  point  of  view  on  the 
fire  question  is  that  carelessness  should  be  eliminated,  and  that 
wooden  buildings  should  be  constructed  with  every  possible  safe- 
guard. In  the  majority  of  cases  it  is  the  contents  of  the  building 
which  furnishes  the  principal  fuel  for  the  flames,  rather  than  the 
building  itself. 

In  itself  wood  has  really  no  serious  limitations,  if  properly 
used.  To  be  sure,  it  checks  in  drying,  and  expands  and  contracts 
to  some  extent  in  different  temperatures,  in  addition  to  the  fact 
that  it  burns  and  rots.  If  these  points  are  not  considered  and  wood 
is  used  on  the  assumption  that  none  of  these  things  would  happen, 
failure  would  naturally  result.  These  points,  however,  are  usually 
fully  considered,  and  the  actual  limitations  are  determined  by 
proper  or  improper  use. 


202  SELLINGLUMBER 


As  applied  to  present  day  salesmanship,  the  point  to  be  em- 
phasized is  that  wood  may  have  merits  or  limitations,  according 
to  the  way  it  is  selected  and  used.     The  merits  may  easily  become 
drawbacks  if  proper  consideration  is  not  given  to  the^ character  of 
Of  Import-    the  material.     For  example,  the  consumer  should  never  be  allowed 
Salesmen  of  to  buy  a  wood  which  quickly  decays  for  use  in  a  place  where  con- 
Wood,  ditions  are  favorable  to  decay.     In  buildings  where  strength  is  re- 
quired, in  posts  and  beams,  strong  wood  should  be  used.     At  the 
same  time,  there  are  places  for  the  inferior  woods  and  lower  grades, 
and  the  big  duty  of  every  man  who  represents  the  lumber  industry 
is  to  help  teach  the  consumer  what  these  proper  uses  are. 

Another  phase  of  present  day  use  of  wood  is  to  treat  it  so 
that  it  will  serve  successfully  some  of  the  purposes  for  which  it 
may  not  be  fully  adapted  in  its  natural  state.  Creosoting,  as  every 
one  knows,  prevents  the  rotting  of  wood ;  fire  retardent  com- 
pounds keep  it  from  burning  where  such  protection  is  necessary ; 
proper  seasoning  does  much  to  prevent  checking  and  warping,  and 
is  also  helpful  in  preventing  decay;  while  proper  painting  and 
finishing  help  make  woods  useful  and  beautiful. 

As  a  last  analysis,  the  merits  and  limitations  of  wood  are 
relative  terms.  A  merit  may  be  turned  into  a  limitation,  or  a 
limitation  may  become  a  merit  if  full  knowledge  is  applied  and 
proper  judgment  used.  It  is  frequently  said,  and  with  much 
truth,  that  the  lumbermen  know  less  about  their  product  than  the 
Salesmen  men  wno  se^  other  materials.  If  this  is  strictly  true,  it  should  be 

Should  Know   corrected,  since  the  people  who  produce  wood  should  know  about 

All  About  '  .    S  u 

Their  **  m  order  to  teach  the  consumers  who  are  not  expected  to  know 

Product.  the  details.    A  good  lumber  salesman  will  master  all  of  the  points 

relating  to  the  merits  and  limitations  of  the  product  he  sells.  He 
should  not  only  know  all  about  wood,  but  why  he  knows  it.  If 
a  consumer  points  out  limitations  the  salesman  should  be  able  to 
tell  him  how  to  turn  them  into  merits.  At  the  same  time  he  should 
be  reasonable  and  not  advocate  wood  for  all  purposes. 

The  slogan  of  "Wood  Where  Best"  can  be  safely  followed  in 
all  cases.  It  is  unwise  to  recommend  wood  where  it  is  not  safe  and 
economical.  We  would  not  build  skyscrapers  of  wood  because  it 
would  not  be  safe  or  permanent.  The  same  reasoning  can  be  car- 
ried down  the  line  to  the  details  of  smaller  structures.  A  concrete 
foundation  is  recommended  under  creosoted  wood  block;  stone  or 
concrete  foundations  are  put  under  barns  and  homes;  brick  ex- 


SELLINGLUMBER  203 

terior  walls  are  placed  on  heavy  timber  mill  construction  buildings, 
and  in  all  of  these  situations  wood  should  be  recommended  only 
where  it  is  best,  and  the  salesman  should  know  where  this  is,  and 
why. 


By 


Judging  the  Order 

Frank  R.  Watkins 

General  Sales  Agent,  Missouri  Lumber 

and  Land  Exchange 

Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Lumbering,  the  second  most  important  elemental  world's  indus- 
try, combines  its  producing  and  selling  departments  into  closer 
relationship  with  each  other  than  any  of  the  other  three  fundamental 
industries.  It  is  not  customary  for  farmers  to  complete  and  finish 

their  products  ready  for  the  market,  or  to  deal  with  the  grocery-    How  the 

1  AT  •  #  Lumber 

man  or  the  consumer.     Not  many  mine  owners  are  to  be  found    industry 

who  transform  their  ore  through   all  processes   into  stoves,   steel    Differs  from 

rails,  or  silver  dollars.    A  number  of  the  various  functions  between 

the  raw  material  and  marketable  product,  including  selling,  are  in 

the  hands  of  middle  men  or  other  parties  not  directly  interested 

with  the  securing  of  the  raw  material  in  agriculture,  mining  and 

fishing. 

It  is  practically  the  universal  practice,  however,  in  the  lumber 
business  that  every  step  between  a  tree  and  finished  lumber  is  within 
the  control  of  the  same  men,  and  this  includes  the  actual  selling 
process.  The  lumbermen's  own  sawyers  fell  the  trees  in  the  woods, 
their  own  streams  transport  them  into  the  sawmill,  their  own  saw- 
mills'work  them  up  into  suitable  rough  sizes,  and  the  further  stages 
of  manufacture  are  carried  on  under  their  own  supervision  and  in 
their  own  plants  until  it  is  ready  for  use. 

It  is  strange,  with  this  perfect  line  from  production  to  dis- 
tribution, that  lumber  markets  should  suffer  such  violent  fluctua- 
tion ;  but  we  will  all  have  to  admit  that  the  path  must  have  been 
too  smooth  in  the  past  and  we  failed  to  provide  ourselves  with  the 
heavy  soles  of  education  for  modern  roads. 

The  man  who  sells  machines  or  typewriters  knows  a  surpris- 
ing number  of  facts  about  the  minute  details  of  manufacture,  and 


204 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Salesmen 

Should 

Watch 

Trend  of 

Public 

Demand. 


Acceptability 
of  Orders 
at  the  Mill. 


doubtless  it  would  be  found  that  the  manufacturers  and  producers 
of  these  lines  were  more  or  less  familiar  with  the  troubles  and  ob- 
stacles of  distribution.  The  lumber  business  has  the  whole  manage- 
ment within  its  own  hands,  and  it  does  look  as  if  a  practicable 
working  knowledge  of  the  operations  of  manufacture  by  the  sales- 
man and  some  education  in  salesmanship  for  the  producers  would 
give  us  gratifying  results. 

As  this  paper  is  supposed  to  confine  itself  to  the  main  line  of 
the  subject — judging  orders — I  will  not  attempt  to  venture  many 
remarks  about  giving  our  mechanical  departments  an  insight  into  the 
mysteries  of  practical  salesmanship,  excepting  to  say  that  I  consider 
it  one  of  the  vital  duties  of  every  salesman  to  carefully  watch  the 
trend  of  demand  in  his  territory  so  that  he  may  indicate  to  the  pro- 
ducers through  his  sales  department  certain  tendencies  of  inquiries 
that  would  help  the  manufacturing  end  to  put  onto  the  stock  sheet 
the  most  of  the  kinds  and  grades  wanted  at  the  proper  season. 

While  observations  of  various  salesmen  lead  me  to  believe  that 
it  does  not  necessarily  follow  because  a  man  has  been  long  ex- 
perienced in  a  manufacturing  end  of  a  business  that  he  will  naturally 
turn  out  to  be  a  good  salesman,  it  is  true  that  a  really  good  sales- 
man will  have  the  important  facts  of  the  details  of  manufacture 
well  in  mind  and  know  the  things  that  cannot  be  done  and  those 
that  can  be  done  most  easily. 

It  is  well  known  that  no  matter  how  expert  or  skillful  our 
manufacturers  may  become  in  their  art,  a  tree  cannot  be  "moulded" 
entirely  into  the  shapes,  lengths,  sizes  and  grades  that  might  be 
demanded.  Certain  characteristics  of  the  timber,  defects,  size  of 
trees  and  operating  conditions  are  involved  in  the  processes  of  man- 
ufacture to  such  an  extent  that  while  it  is  surprising  how  much  can 
be  done ;  nevertheless,  we  have  over-productions  of  some  materials 
and  under  productions  of  other  items.  As  a  consequence,  our.  sales 
department  finds  itself  with  some  stock  at  nearly  all  times  that 
the  trade  does  not  freely  absorb.  We  have  to  force  the  movement 
of  this  stock  with  every  device  of  salesmanship,  at  the  same  time 
holding  in  check  the  demand  for  the  staple  items,  spreading  them 
carefully  over  as  large  a  number  of  orders  as  we  can  to  reap  the 
greatest  benefits  for  the  mill  out  of  what  desirable  items  it  may 
have. 

Every  order  received  has  a  various  degree  of  acceptability  to 
the  mill  for  which  it  is  figured.  Quite  a  sprinkling  of  bad  ones 
come  in,  and  lots  of  good  ones;  and  it  is  probable  that  all  sales 


SELLING     LUMBER 


205 


Volume  Not 
a  Factor 
in  Grading 


departments  measure  the  ability  of  their  salesmen  by  the  volume 
they  get,  the  price  they  get,  and  last  but  not  least,  the  kind  of  orders 
they  take.  It  seems  imperative  that  something  be  done  to  educate 
ourselves  and  our  salesmen  as  to  the  best  methods  of  getting  as 
nearly  perfect  orders  as  are  obtainable. 

If  we  could  devise  some  clerical  system  that  would  weigh  the 
merits  and  demerits  of  every  order  that  came  in,  thus  accumulating 
the  net  result  of  the  standing  of  each  salesman  in  a  single  figure 
at  the  end  of  each  month,  we  would  likely  grade  the  order  under 
divisions  something  like  this :  Price,  adaptability  to  stocks,  credit  of 
customer,  number  of  items,  and  clerical  work. 

You  will  observe  that  volume  has  been  omitted  from  the  rating, 
and  this  partly  because  we  are  considering  the  single  order  now, 
and  partly  because  I  firmly  believe  that  if  we  could  to  some  extent 
lose  sight  of  volume  and  put  the  emphasis  on  other  points  it  would  ^  Orders 
be  an  improvement. 

The  consideration  of  price  can  be  passed  over  lightly,  not  be- 
cause it  is  unimportant,  but  because  it  is  so  important  that  special 
emphasis  is  unnecessary.  I  wish  we  could  have  a  single  invariable 
one-price  basis  so  that  our  salesman  would  not  have  to  spend  so 
much  time  thinking  about  it.  It  may  come  in  the  future. 

In  grading  orders,  the  adaptability  to  stocks  is  the  most  import- 
ant point  of  all.  Every  sales  department  can  lay  out  from  its  files 
one  hundred  orders,  and  every  one  of  them,  for  some  reason  or 
other,  will  have  a  different  rating  or  value  to  the  mill  than  any 
of  the  others.  The  orders  that  call  for  stock  the  nearest  to  the 
way  the  mill  has  it  proportioned  is  the  most  valuable.  An  order 
for  a  straight  car — one  item,  one  length,  one  grade,  may  not  rate 
as  high  as  another  order  for  several  items  or  for  two  or  three 
prades,  because  the  straight  car  order  may  not  fit  the  stock  sheet 
perfectly,  or  may  absorb  all  of  one  length  leaving  the  balance  un- 
proportioned,  while  the  other  order  may  take  up  the  stock  in  the 
same  proportions  as  it  is  shown  on  the  stock  sheet  of  the  mill  against 
which  it  is  figured. 

A  good  many  salesmen,  and  especially  customers,  are  always 
maintaining  that  there  should  be  a  substantial  difference  in  the  price 
asked  for  a  straight  car  and  that  for  the  mixed  car  orders.  Per- 
haps with  some  small  mills  under  certain  conditions  this  is  true,  but 
for  the  big  mill,  operating  practically  full  time  with  full  crews, 
there  is  a  great  deal  less  difference  in  the  cost  of  filling  mixed  cars 
and  the  cost  of  filling  straight  cars  than  is  generally  supposed — pro- 


The  Most 

Desirable 

Order 


206  SELLINGLUMBER 

vided,  of  course,  the  orders  fit  stocks.  Therefore,  I  am  riot  so 
keen  about  the  merits  of  straight  car  orders  as  I  might  be,  at  least 
some  of  them.  They  may  prove  to  be  enough  harm  to  the  condition 
of  your  stocks  to  overcome  any  small  gain  in  shipping  costs. 

To  illustrate  this  point,  let  us  assume  that  you  are  one  of 
twenty  salesmen  and  have  received  a  stock  sheet  showing  at  one  of 
the  mills  a  total  of  about  a  carload  of  1x12 — 16'  No.  2,  along  with 
practically  the  same  proportions — or  a  desirably  proportioned  stock 

of  other  lengths — and  you  have  an  inquiry  for  a  car  of  12" — 16'  No. 
How  One-      _  .  : 

Size  Orders   2  and  your  customer  is  willing  10  pay  our  asking  price.    Because  you 

May  /Jause  want  an  order  pretty  badly,  you  take  this  car  and  send  it  in  to  your 
mill.  As  this  order  moves  all  the  1x12 — 16'  No.  2  they  have  in  ship- 
ping condition,  they  send  put  a  circular  to  the  nineteen  other  sales- 
men composing  the  organization  asking  them  to  cancel  from  their 
stock  sheets  eighteen  or  twenty  thousand  feet— whichever  the 
amount  may  be — of  1x12 — 16'  No.  2,  as  the  stock  has  been  sold. 
Up  to  this  point  the  sale  appears  to  be  a  good  one,  and  you  have 
one  car  more  to  your  credit  at  list  price.  The  objection  to  this 
order  appears  later — after  the  other  nineteen  salesmen  have  received 
their  instructions  to  cancel.  Let  us  now  assume  that  eight  or  ten 
of  these  other  nineteen  receive  inquiries  for  1x12 — 16'  No.  2,  and 
other  lengths  of  that  size  and  grade,  and  other  stock  to  make  up 
mixed  cars.  Each  of  these  eight  or  ten  men  needed  only  three  or 
four  or  five  thousand  feet  of  the  1x12 — 16'  No.  2  to  put  them  in 
shape  to  quote  on  their  inquiries ;  but  they  do  not  have  two  or  three 
or  five  thousand  feet  because  the  office  has  instructed  them  to  can- 
cel, and  perhaps  as  it  may  be  accumulating  slowly,  they  have  been 
cautioned  not  to  sell  the  1x12 — 16'  No.  2.  Under  normal  running 
conditions  most  salesmen  would  not  turn  down  an  order  for  as 
small  amount  as  two  thousand  feet  missing  from  the  stock  sheet 
on  such  an  item  as  1x12 — 16'  No.  2,  which  is  a  stock  item,  but 
whether  they  did  turn  down  the  orders  or  accepted  them,  there 
would  be  an  objection  there;  either  that  eight  or  ten  salesmen  lost  a 
car  each  or  more,  or  eight  or  ten  salesmen  did  sell  a  car  each  or  more, 
and  caused  the  next  stock  sheet  to  show  up  with  the  1x12 — 16'  No. 
2  in  the  red,  or  oversold.  So  you  will  see  that  if  you  do  not 
cause  the  trouble  at  once,  sooner  or  later  you  are  going  to  develop 
it ;  and  our  experience  has  been  that  the  facts  of  the  matter  are 
that  we  not  only  create  oversales,  but  lose  business  as  well.  From 
this  illustration,  I  would  draw  the  conclusion  that  any  order  that 
substantially  sells  all  of  one  length  disregarding  the  proportion  of 


SELLINGLUMBER  207 

other  lengths,  or  that  sells  such  a  large  quantity  of  one  length  that 
it  and  a  repetition  of  it  would  have  a  serious  effect  sooner  or  later 
on  proportions,  is  an  order  which  should  be  graded  down  theoretic- 
ally lower  than  orders  more  closely  adhering  to  stocks.  1x12  —  16' 
No.  2  is  taken  as  the  illustration  above  merely  for  convenience,  not 
because  that  is  at  all  likely  to  have  been  a  troublesome  item,  but  all 
of  you  appreciate  the  fact  that  there  are  certain  lengths  or  sizes 
which  seem  difficult  and  slow  of  accumulation  for  your  mills;  and 
salesmanship  that  fails  to  take  these  things  into  consideration  falls 
just  that  much  short  of  the  highest  abilitv.  I  am  using  one  order 
and  one  salesman  and  one  car  because  the  figures  are  easy  to  handle. 
Tf  cases  of  this  kind  happened  infrequently,  it  is  true  that  little 
harm  would  be  done,  as  the  total  volume  of  all  items  at  most  mills 
is  beyond  being  affected  seriously,  by  one  lone  car.  Neither  do  I 
intend  to  say  that  such  an  order  as  described,  under  such  conditions 
as  described,  should  be  flatly  refused  in  every  case.  I  only  main- 
tain that  there  is  a  difference  of  value  to  the  mills  between  all 
orders.  Other  circumstances  which  I  have  not  mentioned  are  often 
injected  into  a  sale,  by  which  the  salesman  must  be  influenced  in 
deciding  what  to  do. 

I  know  that  in  the  automobile  business  where  a  manufacturer 
is  building  a  small  and  a  large  model  —  a  cheap  and  a  higher  priced 
grade  —  his  contracts  to  his  dealers  read  in  such  a  manner  that 
they  are  compelled  to  take  and  sell  a  certain  quantity  of  the  higher 
priced  car,  to  secure  the  sales  of  a  certain  number  of  the  low 
priced  cars  ;  and  this  trading  is  practiced  to  a  greater  or  less  extent 
by  many  salesmen  in  our  business.  You  will  recall  some  years  ago 
an  extra  heavy  demand  in  the  West  for  2x4  —  8's.  They  had  a  new 
silo  they  called  the  "Common  Sense"  silo  they  are  building,  and  Dealing 


every  dealer  wanted  to  buy  some  2x4  —  8's  from  every  salesman  who   YJ*1  an 

called.    The  proper  handling  of  the  salesman's  stock  of  the  2x4  —  8's    Demand  for 

might  net  him  four  or  five  mixed  cars  —  out  of  a  possible  stock  of    ^ne  Item 

three  or  four  thousand  pieces  —  instead  of  letting  one  man  have  it 

in  a  straight  car  ;  and  every  salesman  should  be  familiar  enough 

with  his  territory  to  soon  catch  the  trend  of  the  demand,  and  appor- 

tion out  his  stocks  where  they  do  the  most  good.     It  is  difficult  to 

induce  regular  yard  dealers  to  take  a  quantity  of  flooring,  for  in- 

stance, or  ceiling,  without  any  16'  included  in  it  ;  where  he  might 

be  talked  into  accepting  a  car  with  even  a  limited  amount  of  the 

sixteen  foot,  if  he  could  have  some  of  it.    If  your  mill  didn't  hap- 

pen to  have  any  sixteen  foot  at  all  and  were  forced  to  prohibit  its 


208 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Keep 
Posted 
on  Mill 
Stocks 


Disposing 
of  Odds 
and  Ends 


Sales  That 
May  Hurt 
the  Market 


sale,  orders  would  be  offered  which  you  would  be  compelled  to 
pass  up  because  of  this  fact;  and  the  original  cause  of  it  all,  in 
most  cases,  was  because  at  a  previous  time  some  one  or  several 
salesmen  had  pre-empted  more  than  his  share. 

It  is  an  essential  part  of  a  salesman's  success  to  carefully  keep 
himself  informed  upon  the  peculiarities  of  accumulation  at  the 
various  mills  for  which  he  may  be  selling,  so  that  in  those  instances 
where  it  does  seem  good  judgment  and  policy  to  accept  an 
order  which  will  take  more  stock  than  the  mill  has,  he  can  let  it  be 
an  item  that  he  knows  is  manufactured  rapidly  at  his  mill.  It  seems 
to  me  it  is  also  an  additional  duty  of  every  man,  regardless  of  the 
nature  of  his  territory,  to  assume  some  responsibility  toward  the 
disposition  of  over-supply.  There  is  always  enough  surplus  of 
some  lengths  or  grade  so  that  every  man  in  every  territory  ought  to 
have  some  small  chance  to  do  his  part. 

Besides  selling  regular  stock  in  its  proper  proportions  as  the 
mill  has  it,  salesmen  are  called  upon  to  give  consideration  to  a  lot 
of  odds  and  ends  and  miscellaneous  droppings  which  are  outside  the 
standard  requirements  of  the  general  run  of  customers.  The  ideal 
way  to  sell  this  special  stock  is  to  have  a  large  number  of  salesmen 
each  to  assume  a  small  responsibility  for  it,  and  include  a  thousand 
to  five  thousand  feet  wherever  it  can  be  sold.  This  stock  is  gen- 
erally shown  in  a  great  enough  variety  so  that  salesmen  in  every 
territory  have  opportunities  if  they  would  just  use  their  ingenuity 
to  induce  some  customer  to  handle  a  little  of  it.  In  many  cases  it 
would  probably  prove  a  genuine  service  to  the  customer,  enabling 
him  to  meet  some  competition  he  could  not  otherwise  touch.  At 
any  rate,  the  quantity  of  odds  and  ends  sold  by  any  salesman,  and 
the  price  at  which  he  sold  them  would  have  a  material  bearing  on 
his  standing  with  any  sales  office. 

I  have  tried  to  show  above  the  relation  of  good  and  bad  orders 
to  the  interest  of  one's  own  company;  but  I  am  wondering  how 
many  of  us  have  ever  thought  of  the  effect  of  selling  stocks  not  on 
hand  on  the  whole  distribution  system  of  the  lumber  industry.  Has 
it  ever  occurred  to  you  that  the  ratio  of  supply  to  demand  is  af- 
fected somewhat?  I  believe  it  is,  and  will  try  to  show  why. 

One  of  our  salesmen  wrote  us  one  time  that  there  were  five 
hundred  competing  salesmen  selling  yellow  pine  calling  on  trade  in 
his  territory  at  that  time.  Perhaps  his  estimate  was  high,  but  no 
doubt  in  most  territories  a  great  many  salesmen  do  call  on  each 
customer  each  month  to  sell  the  same  class  of  stock.  When  it 


SELLINGLUMBER  209 

comes  to  their  stock  sheets,  they  are  all  in  the  same  boat  with  you; 
they  have  stock  on  which  they  are  putting  special  stress  and  trying 
to  move,  and  some  other  stock  they  are  not  so  anxious  to  sell.  Let's 
assume  that  one  of  these  competitors  is  making  a  special  drive  on 
an  item  of  standard  stock  on  which  his  sales  department  considers 
the  mill  is  carrying  too  large  a  surplus.  We  will  say  their  supply 
is  five  hundred  thousand  feet,  but  it  so  happens  that  this  very  item 
is  the  one  on  which  your  mills  are  somewhat  short.  If  this  com- 
petitor could  have  the  freedom  of  the  road  until  he  moved  his 
five  hundred  thousand  feet  of  surplus,  we  would  have  in  the  mar- 
ket just  the  actual  normal  stock  of  five  hundred  thousand  feet;  but 
instead  of  that,  generally  the  way  it  works  out  is  that  you  and 
others  come  along  ahead  of  him  and  take  a  lot  of  orders  during 
ten  or  fifteen  days,  aggregating  a  total  of  forty  or  fifty  thousand 
feet  of  this  item;  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  your  mills  are  a 
little  short  of  it.  You  figure  that  you  can  afford  to  put  in  five  or 
six  or  seven  thousand  feet  in  an  order,  even  if  your  mills  are 
short.  It  seems  reasonable  to  suppose  at  the  end  of  that  time,  how- 
ever, instead  of  carrying  just  five  hundred  thousand  feet  the  market  Better  If 
bears  the  weight,  not  only  of  the  five  hundred  thousand  feet  of  sur-  ^  ( 
plus  manufactured  and  in  shipping  condition,  but  fifty  thousand  feet  Have  the 
more  not  yet  existing,  or  five  hundred  fifty  thousand  feet  because 
you  fill  the  demand  which  your  competitior  with  his  over-supply 
should  be  allowed  to  fill.  It  certainly  looks  like  an  economic  waste 
of  sales  effort.  Of  course,  it  doesn't  always  work  out  that  your 
shortage  is  somebody  else's  surplus,  but  we  have  compared  general 
stock  sheets  with  other  people  enough  to  know  that  there  are  plenty 
of  instances  where  it  does  happen  to  make  it  a  pretty  serious  ques- 
tion ;  and  I  shouldn't  be  surprised — if  it  could  be  checked  up — to  find 
that  a  good  many  millions  of  feet  of  stock  were  actually  duplicated 
in  this  way.  Now,  if  we  would  only  let  this  competitor  go  his  way  un- 
molested with  his  five  hundred  thousand  feet  of  surplus,  he  would 
get  a  natural  market  price  dictated  by  the  law  of  supply  and  demand 
for  his  surplus,  instead  of  a  price  dictated  by  an  unnatural  supply  of 
five  hundred  fifty  thousand  feet ;  and  besides,  our  customers  would 
not  be  inconvenienced  by  having  to  wait  for  us  to  accumulate  our 
fifty  thousand  feet  shortage,  and  it  looks  like  everybody  ought  to  be 
better  satisfied.  Instead  of  spending  our  "steam"  selling  a  shortage, 
we  ought  to  be  working  on  something  else  which  perhaps  our  com- 
petitor does  not  want  to  sell.  Circumstances  alter  cases,  and  I  pre- 
sume there  are  times  when  all  of  us  think  it  is  necessary  to  accept 


210 


SELLINGLUMBER 


Should  Pay 
e 


The  Im- 

Writing6  ' 
Orders  Care- 

Correctly 


this  or  that  order,  regardless  of  its  merits,  but  our  natural  over- 
production is  sufficient  to  cause  all  the  worry  we  want,  without 
conjuring  up  any  more  out  of  thin  air  by  so  much  of  this  kind  of 
selling.  So  much  for  that  part  of  the  grading  of  orders  coming  un- 
der adaptability  of  stock. 

Credit  —  Sales  made  to  a  customer  with  an  indifferent  or  ques- 
tionable credit  rating  are  worth  less  than  those  sales  made  to  prompt 
payers.  The  slow  payer  is  not  entitled  to  as  low  prices  as  the  man 
w^°  rem*ts  us  our  monev  quickly.  There  are,  however,  two  kinds 
of  credit  objections;  a  man  may  be  slow  pay  because  of  certain 
business  difficulties  and  still  be  perfectly  good  and  worthy  of  quite 
extensive  credit  ;  another  man  may  be  quite  good  pay,  but  his 
character  such  that  he  had  better  be  left  alone.  He  may  not  always 
pay  promptly. 

The  number  of  items  to  the  car  in  an  order  has  some  bearing 
in  its  rating,  but  the  importance  of  it  is  less  if  the  items  are  not  too 
badly  scattered  and  are  well  assorted  as  to  stocks  on  hand.  It  must 
cost  considerably  more,  though,  to  send  the  crew  pottering  out  over 
a  whole  yard  and  through  several  rough  sheds  to  pick  up  from 
five  to  fifteen  pieces  each  of  twenty-five  to  forty  items  to  make  up 
one  car.  Most  mixed  orders,  where  so  badly  mixed,  cannot  take 
the  direct  course  from  the  yards  or  sheds  through  the  planers  to  the 
car  that  is  followed  by  the  better  assorted  orders.  Several  different 
machines  must  be  used  on  the  badly  mixed  orders,  and  a  little  of  this 
and  a  little  of  that  accumulated  in  a  pile  or  stacked  in  a  shed  some 
place  until  the  whole  order  is  gotten  together  and  ready  for  loading. 
The  prices  used  in  selling  such  orders  must  be  greater  than  regular 
prices  to  offset  the  extra  cost.  As  I  mentioned  before,  however,  the 
difference  in  a  mixed  order  —  not  too  badly  mixed,  or  with  too  great 
a  number  of  items  —  and  a  straight  car  is  not  so  much  as  some  people 
think. 

Last  of  all,  I  would  mention  in  considering  orders,  the  "pencil 
work,"  or  clerical  work.  The  orders  must  be  written  up  on  some 
sort  of  a  form  to  get  them  into  our  sales  offices,  and  it  is  absolutely 
necessary,  whether  the  salesman  thinks  he  is  a  good  clerk  or  not, 
to  nave  tne  ol"ders  put  on  paper  plainly  enough  and  correctly  enough 
so  that  expensive  mistakes  will  not  occur.  I  do  not  believe  that  a 
mistake  is  due  to  carelessness  of  a  man's  brain;  I  don't  think  a 
healthv  brain  makes  mistakes.  It  is  carelessness  of  the  senses  —  your 
eyes  look  but  do  not  see;  your  brain  is  not  given  a  chance.  But 
whatever  it  may  be,  it  is  certainly  true  that  the  amount  of  letter 


SELLING     LUMBER  211 

writing,  holding  up  of  orders,  and  actual  dollars  and  cents  loss  due 
to  simple  mistakes  is  astonishing.  It  has  been  said  the  American 
people  waste  three  hundred  million  dollars  per  year  making  and 
correcting  clerical  mistakes.  Our  sales  offices  check  over  and  work 
through  twenty  to  fifty  times  as  many  orders  as  each  salesman 
averages  daily.  The  sales  office  force  watches  the  orders  very  care- 
fully, but  there  is  such  a  mass  of  work  at  times  that  occasionally 
something  slips  by.  The  misplacing  of  a  grade,  mistake  in  the  size 
or  length,  or  in  a  moulding  number  can  develop  easily  into  an  amount 
of  loss  that  would  overcome  a  substantial  average  in  price.  If 
you  will  organize  your  work  and.  follow  some  system  of  carefully 
checking  back  every  item  and  phase  of  an  order,  a  great  many  mis- 
takes can  be  avoided,  besides  the  saving  of  time  and  actual  money 
loss  and  embarrassment. 

This  is  the  kind  of  a  paper  difficult  to  get  up  without  causing 
the  suspicion  that  the  sales  agents  are  a  bunch  of  kickers  and  cannot 
see  anything  pleasant  in  any  order;  but  such  is  not  really  the  case. 
Nobody  hopes  for  perfection  yet;  we  realize  that  there  are  many 
obstacles  for  our  boys  to  overcome  in  their  work,  and  in  the  main 
— everything  considered — the  lumber  salesman  shows  gratifying  re- 
sults, under  his  handicaps.  We  are  here  to  try  to  raise  some  of 
the  bars,  and  this  meeting  marks  the  beginning  of  a  campaign  of 
education  along  broad  lines  which  is  going  to  tend  to  lift  us  out  of  Criticism 
the  ruts  and  put  us  all  into  motion  towards  the  highest  efficiency  in  That  May 
our  distribution  scheme.  We  are  all  here  expecting  to  have  a  good 
deal  of  criticism  piled  on  us,  and  hope  to  make  that  criticism  in- 
structive and  helpful  rather  than  mere  fault  finding.  You  know 
the  first  thing  to  do  towards  correcting  something  that  is  wrong 
is  to  find  out  what  is  wrong.  I  am  only  anxious  that  this  paper  may 
give  you  an  insight  into  some  of  the  points  considered  by  sales  de- 
partments about  the  mechanical  features  of  orders  and  salesmanship 
that  will  start  such  discussion  in  your  own  mind  and  with  others,  as 
in  the  end  will  prove  helpful. 


212  SELLING     LUMBER 

How  Best  to  Cover  the 
Territory 

By  James  H.  Heyl 

Eastman,  Gardiner  &  Company 
Laurel,  Miss. 

If  your  territory  consists  of  one  state  or  two,  it  is  necessary  for 
you  to  locate  in  some  town  and  make  this  headquarters,  where  your 
house  and  your  customers  know  they  will  be  able  to  reach  you  at 
least  on  Saturday  or  Sunday.  Try  and  looate  about  the  center  of 
the  territory  that  you  are  expected  to  cover,  provided  it  is  a  town 
that  has  enough  facilities  for  getting  in  and  out  of  readily.  A  post- 
office  box  is  a  necessity,  for  all  your  mail  is  important  and  if  your 
postmaster  is  furnished  with  a  route  list  showing  where  you  will 
be  each  night,  he  will  see  that  your  mail  reaches  you  on  time,  and 
a  few  cigars  given  to  the  box  clerk  from  time  to  time  will  make 
you  a  very  dear  friend  of  his.  Mine  gives  me  a  list  of  each  piece  of 
mail  he  has  sent  out  during  the  week. 

Before  starting  out  Monday  morning,  take  your  railway  guide 

and  route  yourself  for  the  week.    You  will  find  that  by  doing  this 

and  doubling  occasionally  that  you  will  make  the  most  towns  possible, 

Th    V  an<^  ^  w^  enable  y°u  to  send  out  advance  cards  which  will  save 

of  Advance   some  business  for  you  from  a  friend  who  would  otherwise  give 

Calling          jt  to  some  other  good  fellow  who  beat  you  to  it.    An  advance  card 

ought  to  be  something  original.     I  once  got  the  best  results  from 

a  photo  of  an  eighteen- foot  shark  on  a  card  about  eight  by  ten 

inches,  until  Uncle  Sam  made  me  cut  its  size  down.     This  was 

twenty  years  ago,  but  I  still  see  one  occasionally  that  one  of  my 

contemporaries  has  saved. 

In  starting  out  on  Mondays,  remember  that  the  early  trains 
pull  out  of  the  Union  station  at  six-thirty  or  seven  o'clock.  If  you 
miss  this  train  you  are  probably  stuck  till  noon.  Also,  if  you  want 
to  get  home  on  Saturday  in  time  to  take  in  the  ball  game,  you  will 
probably  have  to  catch  another  one  of  these  early  morning  trains, 
and  the  result  is  the  loss  of  a  day  and  a  half  out  of  your  week's 
work,  or  25  per  cent  of  your  actual  working  time.  Your  firm 
away  off  in  Arkansas  or  Mississippi  might  never  know  it,  but,  if 
you  wish  to  look  the  world  straight  in  the  face,  don't  do  it. 


SELLING     LUMBER  213 

In  laying  out  your  route  for  the  month,  it  is  well  to  keep  in 
mind  that  certain  towns  and  certain  sections  of  your  territory  are 
more  busy  than  others.  Iron  might  be  booming  —  another  town 
might  have«a  lot  of  busy  glass  factories  or  be  making  bowie  knives 
or  bayonets,  or  a  certain  section  may  be  opening  up  coal  mines. 
It  would  be  well  to  take  in  portions  of  territory  like  this  every  two 
weeks,  and  you  can  arrange  this  without  much  trouble  or  much 
additional  cost  for  railroad  fares. 

We  will  suppose  you  have  reached  your  first  town  as  a 
stranger.  You  know  from  your  red  book  that  there  are  two  or 
three  yards,  a  planing  mill,  a  buggy  factory,  and  perhaps  a  factory 
making  churns.  You  might  have  noticed,  as  your  train  was  pulling 
into  the  town,  that  you  passed  a  couple  of  pretty  large  brick  plants 
of  some  description.  It  will  pay  you  after  you  have  called  on  the 
different  concerns  in  your  book,  to  walk  back  on  the  railroad  track 
and  see  what  these  factories  are  making.  One  might  be  making 
incubators  and  the  other  tin  cans.  If  this  is  the  case,  you  will  find 
they  both  use  lumber  and  buy  same  in  carload  lots,  and  you  might 
be  fortunate  enough  to  make  a  sale.  I  once  walked  out  to  a  large 
hot  house  in  Jamestown,  New  York,  to  see  if  I  could  work  off 
a  car  of  pecky  cypress,  the  only  thing  in  lumber  I  supposed  they 
used.  Well,  bless  your  hearts,  I  found  that  while  they  bought 
three  or  four  carloads  of  pecky  cypress  during  the  year,  they  bought 
about  two  cars  of  mill  cull  4-4  poplar  a  month,  D  2-S  and  resawn  *  ® 


to  make  boxes  of,  and  they  were  not  well  posted  as  to  prices.   New  Busi- 

They  did  not  subscribe  to  the  "Lumberman."     Had  I  been  more  ness 

interested  in  yellow  pine  at  the  time,  I  think  I  could  have  per- 

suaded them  that,  while  perhaps  they  could  not  ship  red  roses  in 

yellow  pine  boxes,  it  would  improve  the  color  of  their  Marchael 

Neils,  and  might  put  a  delicate  yellow  blush  on  the  faces  of  the 

pure  white  roses  they  were  shipping,  and  I  might  even  have  told 

them  that,   if   they  would   ship   roses   in  yellow  pine  boxes,  the 

odorous  pine  would  keep  out  all  bugs  in  transit.     This  thing  of 

keeping  my  eyes  peeled  on  pulling  in  and  out  of  a  town  I  find 

about  the  most  useful  accomplishment  I  have.    The  railroad  tracks 

of  a  town  are  the  short  cuts  always  to  factories.     Those  of  you 

who  work  Detroit  will  bear  me  out  in  this.    Now  that  all  the  hash 

houses  in  the  country  are  getting  to  be  Metropolitan  Hotels,  you 

will  find  a  telephone  in  your  room,  they  charge  you  ten  cents  to 

use  the  'phone,  but  make  no  charge  for  looking  through  the  'phone 

guide.     This  usually  has  in  the  back  of  it  a  list  of  the  town's  in- 


214 


SELLING     LUMBER 


dustries.  It  will  pay  all  of  us  to  look  through  these  books.  I  am 
quite  sure  you  will  find  one  or  two  people  listed  here  who  use 
lumber.  Take  a  city  like  one  I  make,  how  many  concerns  do  we 
call  on,  twenty  or  twenty-five  perhaps.  Well,  aside  from  the  yards 
and  planing  mills,  there  are  sixty-four  factories  that  I  know  buy 
yellow  pine  in  carload  lots,  twelve  box  factories  that  use  yellow 
pine  and  sixteen  builders'  supply  companies  that  use  yellow  pine 
lath.  One  hundred  and  sixteen  concerns  that  I  know  of  to  call  on, 
and  I  expect  fully  half  as  many  more  that  I  never  heard  of — and 
this  town  is  usually  worked  in  three  days. 

There  are  probably  twenty  jobbers  located  in  this  town  and 
I  know  at  least  six  or  eight  men  who  sell  lumber  on  commission 
here  and  hardly  ever  leave  the  town.  One  young  fellow  I  know 
making  this  same  town  told  me  once  that  he  called  on  a  few  peo- 
ple, but  the  town  was  drummed  to  death.  I  asked  him  if  he  called 
on  any  of  the  factories  and  he  told  me  three  or  four,  but  if  he 
had  to  call  on  all  of  them  he  wouldn't  have  time  to  see  his  regular 
trade.  Anyway,  he  said,  this  factory  business  ought  to  be  a  sep- 
arate business  from  the  regular  lumber  business.  Well,  I  could  tell 
you  of  two  concerns  who  have  made  a  separate  business  of  it  and 
grown  rich  doing  it.  Get  a  memorandum  book  and  list  these  dif- 
ferent concerns  with  the  kind  of  stock  they  buy,  and  when  they 
buy,  and  by  keeping  in  touch  with  them  you  can  gradually  work 
in,  provided  always  your  sawmill  will  occasionally  go  to  the 
trouble  to  get  something  out  special  for  them,  when  they  want  to 
buy  fifty  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  cars  for  delivery  through  the 
year. 

While  you  are  expected  to  cover  your  territory  and  see  as 
many  customers  as  possible  in  the  week,  don't  hurry  your  men  too 
fast,  if  you  feel  there  is  a  possibility  of  landing  an  order.  If  you 
get  the  fidgets  and  keep  pulling  your  watch  out  or  following  your 
man  around  the  yard  while  he  is  waiting  on  someone,  he  will  get 
Don't  iHurry  nervous  also,  and  take  'the  first  chance  he  can  get  to  tell  you  he 
the  Customer  is  not  needing  a  thing,  and  so  help  you  to  make  your  schedule.  The 
probabilities  are  that  the  next  fellow  who  calls  on  him  will  get 
an  order  for  a  car  of  yellow  pine  and  will  be  told  that  "Bill  Smith 
was  here  this  morning  and  would  have  had  the  order,  but  he  was 
too  anxious  to  make  a  train  to  give  me  time  to  see  what  I  wanted/' 
and  this  yard  man  will  lay  it  up  against  Bill  for  a  long  time.  In 
the  larger  towns  you  will  find  the  buyer  will  like  quick  action,  and 


"Separate" 
Business 
That  Became 
Regular 
Business 


SELLING     LUMBER 


215 


there  are  perhaps  others  waiting  to  see  him.  So,  as  they  say  now- 
adays, "Sit  down,  but  don't  intern  until  the  war  is  over." 

When  you  reach  a  town  work  it.  In  addition  to  the  yards 
you  know  about,  you  will  see  factories  along  the  railroad  tracks 
as  you  pull  into  the  town,  and  it  will  pay  you  to  look  them  up  and 
see  what  they  are  doing.  I  once  found  a  box  factory  that  I  was 
told  only  used  hard  woods,  making  automobile  bodies  and  using  a 
good  deal  of  yellow  pine  in  them.  I  also  drifted  into  a  small  fac- 
tory in  New  York  State  that  was  buying  first  and  second  basswood 
to  cut  up  into  fan  handles.  This  party  cut  up  a  car  or  two  a  month 
into  little  stock.  Well,  I  persuaded  him  that  the  best  adapted 
stock  for  this  purpose  was  basswood  lath.  I  saved  him  some 
money,  found  a  place  for  something  that  was  hard  to  sell,  and 
raised  the  selling  price  $1.50  per  thousand  for  basswood  lath.  An 
iron  foundry  or  a  rolling  mill  would  seem  a  poor  place  to  sell  yel- 
low pine.  Foundries  still  use  some  wooden  flasks,  usually  2xl2's, 
and  all  large  iron  works  have  to  use  a  good  deal  of  lumber.  All 
iron  pipe  stored  in  foundry  yards  you  will  find  is  piled  on  2x4's 
or  4x4's,  mostly  of  oak,  but  the  time  is  coming  when  they  can't  get 
oak  for  this  purpose.  I  saw  a  few  days  ago  a  mill  making  sheet 
iron,  as  I  left  the  town,  and  I  noticed  that  they  piled  all  this  ma- 
terial on  2x4's,  first  a  layer  of  2x4's  then  about  eight  or  ten  inches 
of  iron,  another  layer  of  2x4's  and  so  on  until  the  piles  were  ten 
feet  high.  I  will  see  these  people  the  next  time  I  make  that  town. 
All  iron  plants,  especially  the  large  ones,  have  a  great  deal  of 
crossing  plank  to  furnish.  This  is  also  usually  oak.  There  is  no 
reason  why  good  heart  long  leaf  won't  fill  the  bill,  unless  some 
fellow  with  sap  pine  gets  a  car  in  first  and  queers  the  game. 

Call  on  your  architect  friend  some  day  when  you  have  the 
time.  Get  him  to  smoke  a  good  cigar  with  you  and  find  out  how 
much  he  knows  about  yellow  pine.  You  can  help  him  out  with 
suggestions,  and  incidentally  help  out  the  whole  lumber  industry, 
especially  that  portion  cutting  yellow  pine. 

One  reason  why  I  advocate  a  small  territory  was  demonstrated 
a  few  days  ago  to  my  entire  satisfaction.  I  had  been  trying  to 
move  a  small  bunch  of  No.  2  common  car  decking  for  thirty  days 
without  much  success.  Last  week  I  was  in  a  small  town  for  the 
first  time  in  ninety  days.  I  saw  a  foundation  for  a  steel  plant 
going  in,  which  they  were  building  of  concrete  that  from  the  car 
seemed  to  be  about  eight  by  ten  feet  square.  I  had  a  talk  with 
the  lumber  dealer  and  found  that  this  was  the  case.  My  decking 


Finding 
Markets  in 
Unexpected 
Places 


The  Advan- 
tage of  a  Small 
Selling 
Territory 


216  SELLINGLUMBER 

would  have  filled  the  bill  where  they  had  bought  sixteen  and  eight- 
een foot  stuff,  and  could  have  been  sold  to  the  dealer  at  a  price 
that  would  have  netted  him  a  good  profit,  and  I  could  have  moved 
every  foot.  Had  I  been  getting  around  every  four  weeks  I  would 
have  known  all  about  this  job  long  before  the  concrete  piers  were 
half  way  up. 

Where  one  has  a  limited  territory  it  should  be  an  easy  matter 
for  a  salesman  to  make  a  list  of,  first,  all  the  retail  lumber  yards, 
with  the  names  of  the  buyers.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  when 
you  walk  into  an  office  and  ask  to  see  a  certain  person  you  will 
usually  get  to  see  him  promptly,  or  be  told  when  you  can  see  him. 
Not  having  the  name  of  the  buyer  and  no  acquaintance  in  the  office, 
it  will  frequently  happen  that  someone  who  knows  nothing  about 
the  matter,  will  tell  you  that  the  man  you  want  to  see  is  too  busy, 
and  does  not  not  need  any  lumber,  for  they  heard  him  tell  two  or 
three  men  this  earlier  in  .the  day.  When  I  meet  up  with  this  kind 
of  talk,  I  frequently  say,  "I  have  made  a  special  trip  to  see  this 
gentleman,  we  have  had  more  or  less  correspondence,  give  him  my 
card  and  tell  him  I  am  holding  down  the  chair  till  he  can  find 
time  to  see  me."  This  usually  results  in  my  getting  an  interview. 
Next  in  order,  list  the  planing  mills,  box  factories,  builders'  supply 
houses,  etc.  In  addition  to  keeping  this  l!?t  yourself,  send  your 
house  a  copy.  They  might  move  you  to  more  desirable  territory, 
and  have  occasion  to  put  a  new  man  in  your  place,  and  this  will 
enable  him  to  take  up  the  work  intelligently  and  save  him  a  lot  of 
time  and  trouble. 

These  different  concerns  should  be  listed  under  the  names 
of  the  towns  arranged  in  alphabetical  order,  with  a  cross  index 
showing  the  character  of  the  business  done  by  them.  You  will 
find  and  should  list  certain  yards  that  specialize  in  odds  and  ends 
and  the  character  of  the  stock  they  buy.  And  if  you  are  unable 
to  find  them  it  is  quite  possible  to  create  them  by  keeping  in  mind 
Records  the  fact  that  every  piece  of  lumber  about, a  sawmill  has  a  certain 
value  and  a  place  where  it  is  possible  to  use  it.  It  would  also  be 
a  good  plan  to  keep  a  complete  record  of  your  orders,  showing 
the  price  received  for  certain  stock.  The  way  the^  order  was  han- 
dled by  your  mill  as  to  promptness  in  shipping,  quality  of  stock, 
etc.  If  the  mill  delayed  shipment,  why?  So  you  can  give  this 
information  to  your  customer  and  make  him  feel  that  you  are 
taking  a  personal  interest  in  all  business  he  turns  over  to  you. 
You  can  be  sure  that  if  your  shipments  are  unreasonably  delayed 


SELLING     LUMBER  217 

that  your  customer  will  not  give  you  a  rush  order,  and  at  certain 
times  of  the  year  a  good  many  orders  are  of  this  character. 

In  addition  to  actually  selling  lumber,  I  imagine  your  firm 
in  hiring  you  had  some  other  things  in  view  that  you  might  do. 
They  wanted  someone  to  do  the  thing  we  say  so  glibly  when  we 
meet  a  buyer  for  the  first  time,  viz:  "I  represent  So-and-So." 
Have  you  ever  given  this  requirement  much  thought?  Your  new 
would-be  customer  will  certainly  size  you  up  closely  the  first  time 
he  sees  you,  and  just  the  personal  impression  he  gets  from  you  Of  Firstect 
will  be  the  way  he  will  think  of  your  firm.  If  you  give  him  the  Impressions 
impression  of  being  uncouth,  sloppy  in  appearance,  rather  loud 
and  vulgar  in  talk,  he  will  be  more  than  apt  to  ask  the  next  trav- 
eling man  he  knows  what  kind  of  a  firm  does  that  fellow  repre- 
sent, anyhow  ?  So  you  can  help  cover  your  territory  best  by 
leaving  a  good  impression  wherever  you  go. 

Perhaps  your  firm  also  had  this  in  view  when  they  put  you 
in  certain  territory.  They  wanted  correct  information  as  to  actual 
conditions.  Remember,  you  are  the  soldier  on  the  firing  line, 
you  are  seeing  the  things  your  general  can't  see  and  if  you  give 
your  general  false  information,  he  will  more  than  likely  make 
bad  mistakes.  Here  is  an  incident  of  the  sort  I  mean,  and  I  find 
it  is  rather  a  common  occurrence.  A  gentleman  friend  of  mine 
told  me  a  few  days  ago  that  a  salesman  called  on  him  and  offered 
certain  stock  at  a  price  slightly  under  the  market.  He  did  not 
need  this  stock  and  was  not  very  quick  to  grab.  Mr.  Salesman, 
who  was  watching  him  closely,  said:  "Say,  I've  got  a  proposi- 
tion to  make  to  you.  You  make  me  a  firm  offer  for  two  cars  ^  Poor 
of  this  stock  and  shade  my  price  a  dollar.  I  will  wire  my  house  Limiber 
and  tell  them  you  can  buy  this  stock  at  this  price  from  other 
people,  and  I  think  they  will  tell  me  to  take  your  order."  (You 
will  note  I  said  above  a  gentleman  friend  told  me  this).  My 
friend  said:  "I  won't  do  anything  of  the  sort,  for  I  have  had 
no  such  offer."  Not  many,  perhaps,  would  have  done  this,  but 
what  do  you  think  of  the  salesman?  Suppose  you  wanted  a  hat, 
and  a  clerk  said :  "The  price  is  $4,  but  wait  a  minute  till  I  run 
up  and  see  the  old  man ;  I  expect  he  will  tell  me  to  take  $3  for 
it."  I  expect  you  would  wait,  or  walk  out  to  the  front  door  and 
see  if  the  name  on  the  door  was  Eicklestein  or  Levy. 

To   sum   up   in    a    few   words,    work   your   territory   honestly 
and  thoroughly — make  your  customers  glad  to  see  you  if  they  want 


218  SELLING     LUMBER 

lumber  or  not — and  remember  that  the  man  who  finds  a  new 
use  for  Yellow  Pine  and  broadens  his  market  is  the  fellow  who  is 
best  covering  his  territory. 


Decay  of  Yellow  Pine  Lum- 
ber and  Methods  for  Pre- 
venting Same       , 

By  Dr.  Hermann  von  Schrenk 

Consulting  Engineer,  Southern  Pine  Association 

St.  Louis,  Mo. 

The  great  majority  of  living  yellow  pine  trees  are  usually 
free  from  destructive  diseases  so  far  as  the  trunk  from  which  lum- 
ber is  cut  is  concerned.  As  the  yellow  pine  tree  approaches  ma- 
turity and  beyond  an  age  of  70  years  or  more,  some  trees  are 
attacked  by  one  or  more  diseases  which  result  in  the  decay  of  the 
heart  wood.  These  types  of  decay  are  usually  called  "heart  rot," 
and  are  due  to  various  low  forms  of  plant  life  called  fungi,  the 
fruiting  bodies  of  which  manifest  themselves  either  on  the  trunks 
of  the  trees  in  the  form  of  punk  or  toad  stools,  or  on  the  roots 
in  sheets  formed  underground,  or  as  toad  stools  growing  out  of  the 
ground  from  the  root  system.  The  sapwood  of  the  living  tree  is 
always  sound. 

There  are  two  defects  in  the  yellow  pine  tree  which  are  met 
with  now  and  then  in  the  finished  lumber.     The  principal  one  is 
known  by  various  terms,  such  as  heart  rot,  speckled  rot,  dote,  etc., 
Tree  R  t        ^e  otner  ls  butt  rot.     The  heart  rot  always  starts  in  the  top  of 
That  Shows   the  tree  in  the  heartwood,  and  is  recognized  by  the  red  discolora- 
t*on  °^  ^e  wo°d-     ^n  ^ts  earty  stages  the  wood  is  somewhat  dis- 
colored, but  is  otherwise  sound.     In  the  later  stages  small  holes 
appear,  which  in  the  last  stages  are  fringed  with  white  wood  fibers 
which  have  given  the  disease  in  its  advanced  stage  the  name  of 
speckled  rot. 

The  butt  rots  are  several  in  number,  but  in  all  cases  the  de- 
fects can  be  recognized  by  the  fact  that  the  wood  has  turned  into 
a  dark,  charcoal-like  mass,  which  can  easily  be  turned  into  powder 


SELLING     LUMBER 


219 


when  crushed  between  the  fingers.  This  disease  rarely  extends 
very  far  up  into  the  trunk.  In  boards  or  timbers  cut  from  the 
butt  end  of  the  tree  it  frequently  appears  for  from  several  inches 
up  to  several  feet.  Emphasis  should  be  placed  upon  the  fact  that 
when  the  pine  tree  is  cut,  the  organisms  which  cause  the  heart  rot 
and  the  butt  rot  defects  die  at  once.  In  other  words,  in  sawed 
lumber  the  heart  rot  and  the  butt  rot  do  not  continue  to  develop 
after  the  trunk  of  the  tree  is  once  cut  up.  These  fungi  differ 
very  materially  in  that  respect  from  those  which  will  be  next  con- 
sidered. 

After  the  logs  have  been  cut  and  lumber  manufactured  there- 
from, the  wood  is  liable  to  be  attacked  by  a  very  much  larger 
number  of  fungi  which  cause  different  types  of  decay.  The  sap- 
wood  is  extremely  susceptible  to  the  attack  of  these  fungi,  and  in 
most  cases,  where  the  conditions  are  at  all  favorable,  will  not 
last  more  than  a  year  or  two.  The  heartwood,  on  the  other  hand, 
in  all  species  of  Southern  yellow  pine  is  comparatively  resistant 
and  has  been  known  to  resist  decay  for  twenty  years  or  more  under 
favorable  conditions. 

There  is  much  discussion  at  the  present  time  whether  the  per 
cent  of  resin  in  a  piece  of  yellow  pine  indicates  its  power  to  resist 
decay.  The  weight  of  evidence  so  far  is  that  it  does  not,  although 
very  resinous  pieces  have  been  known  to  last  many  years. 

All  fungi  which  grow  on  lumber  after  it  is  cut  from  the  tree 
require  certain  conditions  to  develop.  These  are  a  certain  amount 
of  heat,  a  certain  amount  of  water,  a  certain  amount  of  food  sup- 
ply, and  a  certain  amount  of  oxygen.  The  exact  proportions  of 
these  physical  requirements  vary  with  the  different  species.  This 
may  to  some  extent  explain  why  in  some  cases  one  form  grows  on 
yellow  pine  lumber  and  in  other  cases  why  this  same  form  will  not 
flourish. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  these  fungi  is  the  one  which 
causes  the  so-called  blue  stain  or  sap  stain  of  yellow  pine  lumber. 
The  blue  stain  fungus  grows  naturally  in  the  forest  on  dead  twigs 
and  trunks  and  produces  countless  numbers  of  spores  which  are 
blown  about  throughout  the  entire  country  near  a  pine  forest. 
When  freshly  cut  boards  are  taken  to  the  yard  millions  of  these 
spores  fall  on  such  boards  and  during  favorable  months,  par- 
ticularly from  March  until  October,  they  sprout  with  exceeding 
rapidity  and  penetrate  the  sapwood,  attacking  the  starch,  sugar 
and  oils  found  in  the  sapwood,  and  oftentimes  within  twenty-four 


Rot  in 
Living  Tree 
Ends  with 
Cutting. 


Fungi  That 

Attack 

Lumber 


Resin  Does 
Not  Increase 
Decay  Re- 
sistance 


The  Origin 
of  Blue 
Stain 


220 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Blue  Stain 
Does  Not 
Affect 
Strength 
of  Wood. 


Turpentining 
Does  Not 
Affect 
Strength 
of  Wood. 


Decay 
Spreads 
from  Sap- 
wood  to 
Heartwood 


hours  produce  new  fruiting  bodies  which  discharge  more  spores. 
The  so-called  blue  stain  (which  is  in  reality  gray)  is  due  to  the 
combination  of  color  of  the  fungus  threads  and  the  color  of  the 
wood  fiber.  The  blue  stain  fungus  grows  only  in  the  sapwood, 
and  is  therefore  frequently  a  good  means  of  identifying  which  is 
sapwood  and  which  is  heartwood.  I  know  of  no  case  where  the 
blue  stain  fungus  has  ever  been  found  growing  in  heartwood. 
The  fungus  does  not  attack  the  wood  fiber,  and  blue  stained  sap- 
wood  is  therefore  just  as  strong  as  unstained  sapwood.  Numerous 
tests  made  under  my  own  direction  by  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment and  similar  tests  made  in  the  German  government  testing 
laboratories  have  demonstrated  this  beyond  doubt.  The  only 
defect  which  the  blue  stain  fungus  gives  is  in  the  matter  of  appear- 
ance. In  view  of  the  fact,  however,  that  its  presence  is  frequently 
highly  undesirable,  various  schemes  have  developed  for  preventing 
the  growth  of  the  blue  stain  fungus.  The  principal  methods  now 
used  consist  in  dipping  freshly  sawed  lumber  in  various  salt  solu- 
tions. The  principal  salts  used  are  sodium  carbonite  (soda  ash), 
sodium  bicarbonate  (baking  soda),  sodium  silicate  (water  glass), 
and  sodium  fluoride.  These  salts  are  used  in  strengths  varying 
from  2  per  cent  to  5  per  cent.  The  first  two  are  principally  used, 
and  where  the  work  is  efficiently  done,  they  practically  eliminate 
blue  stain. 

Speaking  of  the  relation  of  the  blue  stain  to  strength,  it  may 
not  be  out  of  place  here  to  refer  to  the  influence  of  turpentining 
on  the  strength  of  yellow  pine  timber.  Turpentining  removes 
the  natural  resin  from  the  tree.  Resin  is  an  excreted  product  of 
the  pine  tree  and  is  produced  in  special  canals.  When  the  pine 
tree  is  tapped,  the  resin  contained  in  the  sapwood  exudes  from 
the  wound.  No  resin  is  ever  extracted  from  the  heartwood  during 
turpentining  operations.  Exhaustive  tests  made  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  United  States  Forest  Service  have  shown  conclusively 
that  there  is  no  loss  of  strength  due  to  turpentining  operations. 

Coming  now  to  the  fungi  which  grow  on  sapwood,  their  num- 
ber is  legion  and  they  produce  every  conceivable  kind  of  rot  or 
decay,  known  popularly  as  sap  rot,  dry  rot,  wet  rot,  brown  rot, 
etc.  These  terms  have  little  practical  significance.  As  already 
stated,  the  sapwood  of  all  pines  (and  for  that  matter,  of  all  tim- 
bers) is  very  susceptible  to  the  attack  of  fungi,  and  when  so 
attacked  will  rarely  last  more  than  a  year  or  two.  After  the  sap- 
rotting  fungus  has  obtained  a  foothold  in  the  sapwood,  in  the 


SELLING     LUMBER 


221 


majority  of  instances,  it  will  very  frequently  attack  the  heart- 
wood.  There  are  some  exceptions  to  this  rule,  but  in  the  majority 
of  instances  the  heartwood  is  not  immune  when  the  conditions  are 
favorable. 

The  prevention  of  decay  in  pine  and  other  classes  of  lumber 
has  been  studied  since  ancient  times.  The  easiest  way  to  prevent 
decay  is  to  so  use  the  wood  that  the  necessary  conditions  for  the 
development  and  growth  of  decay-producing  fungi  are  interfered 
with.  A  piece  of  wood  which  is  kept  perfectly  dry  will  never 
decay;  that  is,  a  piece  of  sap  pine,  if  kept  perfectly  dry,  will  last 
twenty  years  or  more.  Wood,  therefore,  which  is  kept  in  well 
ventilated  circumstances  or  under  cover,  will  decay  very,  very 
slowly.  The  same  is  true  for  wood  which  is  kept  continuously 
under  water.  Good  examples  of  this  latter  are  found  in  the  founda- 
tion timbers  of  the  Swiss  lake  dwellings,  submerged  in  the  waters 
of  Lake  Geneva,  which  are  just  as  sound  today  as  when  built  by 
the  pre-historic  men;  also  by  the  foundation  piles  of  the  famous 
Campanile  in  Venice,  which  were  used  practically  in  their  entirety 
when  the  Campanile  was  recently  reconstructed.  In  the  ordinary 
use  of  lumber  much  can  be  done  which  is  now  disregarded,  simply 
because  people  do  not  pay  sufficient  attention  to  simple  methods  of 
keeping  the  lumber  away  from  contact  with  the  soil  or  in  well 
ventilated  conditions.  As  a  good  example  of  this  the  laying  of 
porch  flooring  which,  when  laid  tight,  is  very  liable  to  decay,  but 
which  will  last  a  long  time  if  even  the  smallest  cracks  are  left  be- 
tween the  individual  boards. 

The  most  efficient  manner  for  preventing  decay  is  by  some 
process  of  chemical  preservation.  The  preservation  of  wood  has 
grown  to  be  a  great  industry.  It  has,  to  be  sure,  developed  largely 
in  connection  with  timber  and  lumber  used  by  railroads,  steamship 
companies,  and  other  larger  users  of  wood.  In  Europe,  however, 
it  has  for  many  years  been  a  matter  of  household  application  with 
even  the  humblest  citizen.  In  1915  the  total  amount  of  lumber, 
piling,  ties,  etc.,  of  all  woods  treated  in  the  United  States  was 
equal  to  about  140  million  cubic  feet,  or  approximately  1.7  billion 
feet  board  measure.  The  total  number  of  railroad  ties  treated 
equaled  37,085,585,  of  which  8,541,203,  or  23.03  per  cent,  were 
yellow  pine;  3,817,929  lineal  feet  of  piling  were  treated  at  Gulf 
Coast  plants,  and  3,134,993  lineal  feet  were  treated  in  Atlantic 
Coast  plants,  probably  most  of  which  was  Southern  yellow  pine. 
The  total  amount  of  paving  blocks  treated  in  1915  equaled  2,936,- 


Wood  Con- 
tinuously 
Wet  or  Con- 
tinuously Dry 
Does  Not 
Decay 


Prevention 
of  Decay 
by  Chemical 
Treatment 


222 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Chemicals 
That  Effect- 
ually Preserve 
Wood. 


( Painting 
'with  Pre- 
servative 
Has  Little 
Value. 


370  square  yards,  or  7^2  million  cubic  feet,  of  which  2,679,906, 
or  91.3  per  cent  were  Southern  yellow  pine.  The  amount  of  con- 
struction timbers  on  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts  treated  in  1915 
equaled  106,097,328  board  feet,  or  about  75  per  cent  of  all  con- 
struction timber  treated  in  the  United  States.  While  these  figures 
show  a  very  large  increase  over  the  amount  used  ten  years  ago,  you 
will  note  that  they  deal  almost  entirely  with  ties,  construction  tim- 
ber, piling  and  paving  blocks.  The  amount  of  lumber  actually 
preserved  is  still  very  insignificant. 

The  chemicals  used  in  the  artificial  treatment  of  lumber  which 
have  survived  the  test  of  time  are  very  few  in  number.  At  the 
head  of  the  list  is  coal-tar  creosote,  sometimes  known  as  dead  oil 
of  coal  tar,  a  substance  derived  from  the  distillation  of  coal  tar, 
either  from  retort  gas  works  or  by-product  coke  ovens.  Creosoted 
lumber  will  cost  anywhere  from  $10  to  $25  per  thousand  feet 
board  measure,  added  to  the  cost  of  the  lumber,  depending  upon 
the  amount  of  oil  used,  initial  cost  of  oil,  freight,  etc.  The  next 
in  importance  is  zinc  chloride,  a  water-soluble  salt,  the  price  of 
which  is  very  high  at  the  present  time,  due  to  war  conditions.  The 
treatment  costs  from  5  to  7  cents  per  cubic  foot.  Mercuric  chloride 
is  used  in  two  plants  at  the  present  time,  both  located  in  the  New 
England  states.  The  cost  is  about  the  same  as  zinc  chloride. 

These  preservatives  are  applied  and  forced  into  wood  by  dif- 
ferent methods.  Ordinary  painting  with  a  preservative  has  com- 
paratively little  value.  Effective  preservation  can  be  obtained  only 
in  case  the  preservative  is  forced  into  the  wood  so  that  all  of  the 
sapwood  is  penetrated.  In  order  to  do  this  the  wood  must  usually 
be  in  a  thoroughly  air-dried  condition.  Prospective  users  of  lum- 
ber are  cautioned  to  guard  against  the  improper  use  of  the  host 
of  patented  or  trade  marked  so-called  wood  preservatives.  These, 
in  the  first  place,  cost  very  much  more  than  any  of  the  three  com- 
pounds above  mentioned.  In  the  second  place,  it  is  usually  ad- 
vocated that  they  be  applied  with  a  brush,  and,  entirely  aside  from 
any  of  the  other  claims  made  for  such  compounds,  these  two  points 
are  of  sufficient  importance  to  warrant  exceedingly  careful  study 
on  the  part  of  the  prospective  user  before  paying  the  more  or  less 
excessive  prices,  particularly  when  good  creosote  can  be  bought 
for  not  to  exceed  25  cents  per  gallon. 

The  simplest  method  for  treating  lumber,  applicable  par- 
ticularly to  the  small  user,  is  the  so-called  open  tank  process.  This 


SELLINGLUMBER  223 

briefly  consists  in  placing  the  lumber  to  be  treated  in  a  suitable 
tank  or  vat,  the  size  depending  upon  the  quantity  to  be  treated. 
The  preservative  should  then  be  run  into  the  tank  or  vat  until  the 
lumber  is  entirely  covered.  Heat  is  then  applied  either  by  means 
of  steam  coils  or  by  a  fire  built  under  the  tank.  The  preservative 
is  heated  for  anywhere  from  two  to  five  hours,  or  longer  if  the 
timber  is  very  green,  and  the  heat  is  then  withdrawn.  The  lumber 
is  left  in  the  cooling  solution  for  from  two  to  ten  hours,  depending 
upon  the  size  of  the  lumber  treated  and  its  condition  prior  to 
treatment.  The  heating  operation  produces  a  vacuum  within  the 
wood,  and  as  the  preservative  cools,  it  is  forced  into  the  wood  ment  of 
by  atmospheric  pressure.  This  process  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  Lumber 
treatments  of  fence  posts  and  bunches  of  shingles,  and  short 
lengths  of  any  kind  of  lumber.  It  is,  however,  possible  to  use 
tanks  long  enough  to  take  any  length  of  structural  timbers  or 
boards,  and  as  the  apparatus  requires  a  comparatively  small  initial 
investment,  it  will  be  practical  for  any  retailer  or  any  consumer 
to  build  one  of  these  plants  himself  and  operate  it  with  every 
guarantee  of  success.  Complete  descriptions  of  the  various  types 
of  tanks  can  be  obtained  from  the  United  States  Forest  Service 
and  government  state  institutions  and  universities. 

Most  of  the  timber  and  lumber  preserved  is  treated  by  one  of 
the  so-called  pressure  processes.     For  these  processes  large  cylin- 
drical retorts  are  used,   about  six  to  seven  feet  in  diameter  and 
100  to  160  feet  in  length,  supplied  with  the  necessary  pipe  lines,    The  Pressure- 
pressure  and  vacuum  pumps,  storage  tanks   for  the  preservative,    M^jJoITof 
etc.     The  lumber  or  paving  blocks  are  piled  on  small  cars  which    Treating 
are  run  into  these  retorts,  and  after  varying  applications  of  steam,      um  e 
air  pressure,  vacuum,  etc.,  the  preservative  is  forced  into  the  lum- 
ber at  pressure  approximating  175  pounds.     Careful   records  are 
kept  of  the  amounts  of  the  various  chemicals  injected,  because  upon 
this  the  final  cost  usually  depends. 

The  pressure  processes  may  roughly  be  classed  into  the  so- 
called  full-cell  treatment,  in  which  large  amounts  of  preservative 
are    injected,    and    the    so-called    empty-cell    treatments,    in    which    Experts 
large  amounts  are  initially  injected  and  then  withdrawn  with  the    Should 
exception  of  a  small  amount,  the  idea  being  to  obtain  the  requisite    Treatment 
penetration   and   still  leave   only   a   small   amount  of   preservative 
in  the  timber,  thereby   reducing  the  cost.     It  should  be   remem- 
bered that  all  preservative  processes  require  considerable  technical 
chemical  and  physical  knowledge,  and  in  all  cases  careful  super- 


224 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Where 
Treated 
Lumber 
May  Be 
Obtained. 


Where 
Treated 
Material 
Should  Be 
Used. 


vision  should  be  given  to  the  condition  of  the  timber  before  treat- 
ment and  all  of  the  steps  involved  in  the  process  of  treatment. 

One  of  the  most  important  considerations  from  the  user's 
standpoint  is  to  know  where  to  get  treated  lumber,  where  to  use  it, 
and  how  to  use  it.  Answering  the  first  question,  treated  lumber 
can  now  be  purchased  in  practically  any  part  of  the  United  States 
from  various  timber  preserving  companies,  a  list  of  which  can 
easily  be  obtained.  Dealers  have  not  so  far  used  any  large 
amounts  of  preserved  wood,  chiefly  because  of  the  lack  of  demand. 
As  soon  as  the  public  finds  out  that  a  treated  piece  of  yellow  pine 
is  worth  many  times  more  than  what  they  pay  for  it,  such  demand 
will  come  just  as  certainly  as  it  did  abroad. 

Answering  the  second  question,  where  to  use  it,  preserved 
lumber  can  and  should  be  used  wherever  lasting  power  is  of  im- 
portance aside  from  lumber  used  for  interior  or  decorative  pur- 
poses. This  will  include  practically  all  forms  of  yellow  pine  con- 
struction used  out  of  doors,  whether  it  be  for  ties,  piling,  paving 
blocks,  porches,  fence  posts  or  poles,  lumber  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  barns,  cattle  troughs,  garages,  etc.  It  will  be  safe  for 
those  who  are  interested  in  the  proper  marketing  of  Southern  yel- 
low pine  to  remember  that  preservative  wood,  which  will  of  course 
apply  chiefly  to  wood  with  a  high  percentage  of  sapwood,  can  be 
urged  upon  the  public  with  every  confidence  that  claims  made  there- 
for will  be  substantiated.  Properly  creosoted  sap  yellow  pine  will 
last  fifty  to  sixty  years  or  more.  Some  of  the  specimens  before 
you  will  bear  this  out.  I  have  recently  examined  a  fence  near 
Norfolk,  Vav  constructed  of  sap  pine.  The  posts  were  treated  in 
1883  and  the  palings  in  1894 ;  in  other  words,  the  posts  have  now 
been  in  service  thirty-three  years  and  the  palings  twenty-two  years, 
and  they  are  all  as  sound  and  perfect  as  the  day  they  were  con- 
structed. Properly  creosoted  lumber  is  just  as  strong  as  the  un- 
treated lumber.  I  have  a  strong  belief  that  the  American  people 
will  cheerfully  utilize  any  material  of  which  they  appreciate  its 
fitness  and  usefulness.  Think  what  it  means  to  build  a  fence  of 
yellow  pine  at  the  present  time  and  have  the  two  by  fours  and 
posts  rot  within  four  or  five  years,  and  then  consider  again  the 
same  kind  of  fence  which  will  last  fifty  years.  We  have  in  prop- 
erly preserved  lumber  a  field  for  future  application  for  every  pur- 
pose which  can  certainly  be  made  one  of  the  strongest  talking  points 
in  favor  of  the  use  of  wood. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


225 


As  to  how  to  use  preserved  wood,  this  will  depend  very  ma- 
terially on  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  intended.  Where  wood  is 
to  1)e  painted  or  where  odors  are  objectionable,  either  zinc  chloride 
or  mercuric  chloride  treated  wood  should  be  used,  because  after 
such  treated  lumber  is  dry  it  can  be  worked  or  painted  in  any  way 
desired.  Creosoted  wood  can  be  used  immediately  after  treat- 
ment, although  it  is  usually  better  to  allow  it  to  dry  for  a  few 
weeks.  Wherever  possible,  wood  should  be  framed  and  cut  to  the 
form  in  which  it  is  to  be  used,  because  the  longer  service  will  be 
obtained  when  the  wood  is  not  damaged  or  wounded  after  it  has 
once  been  treated.  Creosoted  wood  is  not  poisonous,  as  has  fre- 
quently been  stated,  either  to  animals  or  men.  It  repels  all  forms  of 
fungi  and  is  resistant  to  all  types  of  insect  attack.  It  is  rat-proof, 
and  when  used  on  the  farm,  horses  and  cattle  not  only  will  let  it 
alone,  but  it  also  adds  in  a  most  material  manner  to  the  sanitary 
condition  in  places  where  animals  are  kept.  For  special  uses 
special  directions  will  be  found  necessary.  This  is,  for  instance, 
typified  by  the  use  of  Southern  yellow  pine  in  connection  with 
paving  blocks.  It  is  not  only  of  the  utmost  importance  that  a 
good  class  of  yellow  pine  be,  used  for  the  manufacture  of  paving 
blocks,  but  it  is  even  more  important  to  see  that  the  blocks  are 
properly  treated  by  the  correct  method,  and  that  after  treatment 
they  are  laid  upon  a  proper  concrete  foundation,  with  the  neces- 
sary expansion  joints  and  fillers,  as  prescribed  by  the  best  standard 
city  specifications. 

Zinc  chloride  treated  wood  will  not  have  the  length  of  life 
that  creosoted  wood  will,  because  zinc  chloride  is  soluble  in  water 
and  unless  protected  will  in  time  leach  out.  In  view  of  the  fact 
that  it  is  a  cheaper  process,  however,  numerous  uses  will  doubtless 
be  found.  So,  for  instance,  if  properly  painted  it  will  have  none 
of  the  possible  objectionable  features  as  to  color  or  odor  which  the 
creosoted  lumber  will  have,  and  will  last  a  long  time. 

The  foregoing  gives  a  very  rapid  survey  of  an  industry  which 
will  be  found  to  grow  in  the  coming  years  with  the  increasing 
knowledge  and  appreciation  of  the  public.  It  has  necessarily  been 
impossible  in  this  brief  paper  to  more  than  touch  the  high  spots 
and  to  point  out  some  of  the  fundamental  points  connected  with 
the  manufacture  and  use  of  treated  yellow  pine.  It  should  be  re- 
membered that  the  Southern  Pine  Association  stands  ready  at  all 
times  to  give  specific  advice  with  reference  to  any  one  of  the 
points  connected  with  the  possible  use  of  preserved  yellow  pine. 


How  to 
Use  Pre- 
served Wood 


Treating 
Wood  That 
Is  to  Be 
Painted 


The  Study 
of  Wood 
Preservation 
a  Duty. 


226  SELLING    LUMBER 

It  should  be  stated  that  everyone  interested  in  the  modern  merchan- 
dising of  yellow  pine  lumber  will  fail  of  his  full  responsibility 
unless  he  recognizes  the  necessity  for  a  careful  study  of  the  pre- 
serving problem  and  is  fully  alive  to  the  future  possibilities  which 
lie  in  extending  the  use  of  properly  preserved  yellow  pine. 


Cost  From  Mill  to  Car 

By  L.  J.  Boykin 

Gulf  Lumber  Company 
Houston,  Texas 

The  accomplishments  of  this  Association  reflect  credit  upon 
its  officers,  who  are  tireless  workers  and  who  have  set  an  example 
that  you  as  individuals  may  well  follow.  It  is  your  duty  to  your- 
selves and  to  the  people  by  whom  you  are  employed  to  work  as 
zealously  as  they  for  the  upbuilding  of  this  industry. 

In  my  opinion,  all  salesmen  should  be  conversant  with  the 
cost  of  the  article  they  sell,  and  your  chairman  has  selected  me  to 
enlighten  you  as  to  the  cost  from  sawmill  to  car.  The  costs  at  the 
various  mills  vary  to  such  an  extent,  account  of  their  facilities, 
that  you  will  have  to  depend  upon  these  facilities  of  the  mill  by 
whom  you  are  employed  to  give  you  their  cost  in  each  department. 
The  figures  that  I  furnish  you  are  compiled  from  cost  statements 
that  I  have  been  able  to  obtain  from  some  of  the  largest  manu- 
facturers in  East  Texas  and  West  Louisiana,  and  I  find  that  there 
is  a  wide  variation  in  the  cost  of  each  of  their  departments,  which 
is  occasioned  by  the  manner  in  which  their  lumber  is  handled.  I 
will  endeavor  to  give  you  the  cost  in  such  a  manner  as  will  be  of 
benefit  to  you  as  salesmen  on  practically  every  order  you  accept. 
Rough  Green  Lumber  from  Sawmill  to  Car,  $0.2698. 

This  item  includes  placing  lumber  on  dollies  and  trucking  to 
loading   ramps,   salary   of   shipping  clerk,   and    repairs   to   loading 
Items  of  ramps,  and  loading  on  car. 

c.  Sawmill  Through  Sizer  at  Back  End  of  Mill  to  Car,  $0.592. 

This  includes  the  salary  of  sizer  man,  the  handling  of  the 
lumber  to  sizer,  putting  on  dollies  and  loading  on  car,  as  well  as 
repairs  to  loading  ramps. 

Cost  of  Sawmill  Through  Kiln. 
Superintendence $0.129 


SELLINGLUMBER  227 

Stacker  labor 166 

Transfer 084 

Repairs 12 

Incidentals 095 

Dry  kiln  labor 096 

Dry  kiln  steam 129 

Unloading 123 

Total $0.942 

In  accepting  orders  for  kiln  dried  lumber  it  is  well  for  you 

.  ,  f .  ,  .     ,         .      ,  ,      r       r~,  •  Difficulties 

to    avoid   any    thickness   over   two    inches    in   long   leaf.      Ihis    is    in  Kiln-Drying 

brought  about   from  the  fact  that  this  lumber  checks  to  such  an    Longleaf 
extent  in  drying  that  you  degrade  at  least  25  to  30  per  cent.    This 
is  not  true  of  short  leaf,  for  the  reason  that  it  does  not  contain  as 
much  heart  lumber  as  long  leaf,  and  you  can  successfully  dry  two 
inches  and  over  in  short  leaf. 

The  same  statement  may  be  made  with  regard  to  kiln  drying 
heart  lumber  of  ary  width  or  thickness  containing  90  per  cent  or 
all  heart  of  its  cubical  contents.  There  is  no  doubt  in  the  kiln  drying 
of  No.  1,  No.  2  and  No.  3  grades  that  you  lower  the  grade  of  this 
stock  at  least  20  per  cent,  especially  is  this  so  in  long  leaf.  Thi^is 
occasioned  by  checks  in  heart  lumber  and  loosening  of  knots  that 
are  taken  out  by  fast  machine  work  at  the  planing  mill.  Some  mills 
have  separate  rooms  set  aside  in  their  kilns  for  the  drying  of  No.  1 
and  No.  2,  and  are  able  to  obtain  better  results  than  others,  who 
stack  their  lumber  on  kiln  trucks  and  place  in  kiln  regardless  of  its 
grade. 

Cost  of  Mill  Through  Soda  Dipping  Vat,  854c. 

The  cost  of  treating  lumber  with  soda  dipping  process  has  in- 
creased at  least  100  per  cent  since  the  European  war.  This  is 
brought  about  by  the  increased  price  of  soda.  Included  in  this  ex- 
pense is  the  cost  of  steam  used  in  heating.  C  t  f 

Handling  From  Kiln  to  Rough  Shed.  Soda  Dip 

Increased 
Trucking  to  dry  shed $0.15 

Piling  in  dry  shed 134 

Truck  repairs 010 

Tram  and  shed  repairs 028 

Incidentals.  .  .053 


Total. $0.375 


228  SELLING     L  UMBER 

As  explained  previously,  the  arrangements  of  the  various  mills 
make  their  cost  vary.  Some  mills  handle  their  lumber  by  what  is 
known  as  the  electric  monorail  system,  and  lumber  so  handled,  the 
cost  will  be  less  than  above  stated,  but  there  are  very  few  mills 
equipped  with  this  system. 

Sawmill  to  Yard. 

Sorting  Table $  .34117 

This  item  includes  the  grading  of  lumber  in  the  rough, 
pulling  off  of  sorting  table,  and  putting  on  dollies. 

Yard  labor $  .3427 

Sawmill  This  item  includes  handling  of  lumber  on  dollies  to  rough  shed 

to    ard     an(j  distributing  according  to  grade  and  lengths  to  each  stack. 

Yard  stacking $  .1583 

This  item  includes  picking  the  lumber  off  of  the  ground  and 
stacking  it  on  pile. 

Making  total  cost  from  sawmill  to  yard  .  .  $  .8427 
It  requires  60  to  90  days  to  air  dry  thoroughly,  depending  en- 
tirely upon  weather  conditions.     In  the  summer  time  material  can 
be   sufficiently   dried   in    from  45  to   60  days,   but   in  the   winter 
it  usually  takes  90  days. 

Handling  of  Rough  Lumber  from  Yard  to  Car,  40c  Per  M. 

This  item  includes  taking  lumber  down  from  stack,  loading  on 
dollies,  hauling  to  loading  dock,  unloading  and  loading  in  car. 
The  same  cost  of  40c  may  be  made  from  rough  shed  to  car. 
From  Rough  Shed  and  Yard  to  Planer. 

Superintendence.  .  . . , $0.021 

Labor 228 

Stable. 077 

Truck  repairs 019 

Tram  road  repairs 002 

Incidentals.  .  .004 


Total , $0.351 

Cost  of  Putting  Lumber  Through  Machines. 

Superintendence $0.082 

Helper 052 

Labor 541 

Light  and  water 025 

Oil 014 

Insurance .017 


SELLING     LUMBER  229 

Belting 061 

Planing  mill  knives 'and  heads 037 

Twine 023 

Machine  shop 038 

Incidentals 117 

Total $1.007 

The  Cost  from  Dollies  to  Car,  which  comes  under  the  shipping 
department,  means  that  this  department  takes  this  lumber  as  it 
stands  behind  the  machines  on  lumber  buggies  and  trucks  it  around 

to  the  cars,  the  sheds,  or  the  outer  yards. 

Cost  from 
Superintendence .$0.072  D'ollies 

Trucking  and  loading 302  to  Car 

Tram  and  shed  repairs 021 

Truck  repairs 005 

Incidentals 010 

Demurrage 003 


Total $0.413 

Taking  lumber  from  pile  in  dress  shed  or  car  25c  to  40c  per 
M.  Doubtless  a  great  many  of  you  salesmen  have  not  considered 
the  time  consumed  and  the  cost  of  twine  in  the  bundling  of  lum- 
ber. This  is  an  item  that  costs  the  manufacturer  $0.0203  per  M  on 
all  lumber  shipped  through  planing  mill,  whether  bundled  and  tied 
or  not.  The  cost  of  sisal,  like  soda,  has  doubled  in  value  since  the 
war  began,  and  the  cost  of  twine,  which  is  made  from  sisal,  has 
tripled  in  value.  You  may  use  the  following  expense  as  a  basis 
of  bundling  and  tying: 

Bed  slats  $0.254 

1x4 — 9  ft.  car  siding 087 

Flooring,  ceiling,  siding,  car  lining,  8  to  20 

ft.  .  .   066 

1x4 — 10  or  20  ft.  car  siding 063 

1x4  and  6  in. — 5  ft.  car  lining  or  rfg.  .  .  .        .171 
These  costs  also  vary  depending  upon  how  fast  feed  machines 
are  running  and  whether  or  not  the  grader  has  time  to  do  the  work 
himself. 

The  Cost  of  Resawing,  36^ c  per  M. 

The  resawing  of  any  grade  of  lumber,  with  the  exception  of   Re-Sawing 
B  and  Better,  unless  the  stock  is  well  manufactured,  degrades  the   and  RiPPinS 


230  SELLINGLUMBER 

material,  and  this  is  especially  so  for  No.  2  and  No.  3  resawed, 
for  the  undergrade  accumulation  and  waste  will  amount  to  at  least 
25  per  cent.  All  lumber  is  graded  from  its  best  side,  and  if  you 
take  2-inch  and  resaw  to  1-inch,  in  all  probability  you  will  reduce 
the  grade  of  one  piece  of  this  lumber,  unless  it  is  carefully  selected 
before  resawing. 

Ripping  costs  from  50c  to  75c  per  M,  and  frequently  the 
grade  is  raised  by  ripping  wide  stock  to  narrow — and  further- 
more it  assists  the  manufacturer  in  getting  out  orders  for  narrow 
stock  by  ripping  the  wide  lengths.  This  is  especially  true  when 
there  is  a  good  demand  for  siding  and  lining  and  no  sale  for  wide 
finish. 

Trimming  costs  $0.459. 

It  is  impossible  to  trim  lumber  to  exact  lengths  when  it  is  done 
by  the  usual  trim  saw  behind  the  machine.  To  trim  lumber  exact, 
*4  inch  is  as  close  as  it  is  practical.  Orders  calling  for  special 
trimming  to  odd  lengths  you  should  base  your  sale  on  even  lengths 
next  above,  from  which  this  trimming  is  done,  so  as  to  avoid  loss 
to  the  manufacturer — unless  you  secure  a  price  that  will  justify 
this  loss  and  the  cost  of  trimming.  This  expense  depends  upon 
the  rapidity  of  the  material  coming  from  the  machines  and  the 
location  of  the  cut-off  saw  from  the  machine. 

SPecial  Work  Stock  costs  $°'513  Per  M' 

I  wish  to  lay  particular  stress  upon  the  reworking  of  special 
stock.  This  is  something  that  you  salesmen  should  pay  particular 
attention  to,  and  especially  the  reworking  of  stock  that  is  accu- 
mulated from  the  working  of  special  stock.  The  mills  usually 
have  a  large  accumulation  of  this  material  on  hand,  and  by  paying 
close  attention  to  your  stock  sheets  I  feel  satisfied  that  you  may 
move  it. 

Stock  worked  thicker  or  wider  than  standard  means  that  it 
must  be  cut  special  in  the  sawmill,  and  that  any  items  failing  to 
grade  for  the  special  order  must  be  placed  in  regular  stock  at  a 
considerable  loss.  A  high  percentage  of  lumber  is  lowered  by 
special  working,  and  especially  is  this  so  of  the  low  srrades,  No.  2 
and  No.  3.  All  stock  should  be  carefully  selected  for  the  grade 
sold  in  the  rough  so  as  to  avoid  as  much  undergrade  accumulation 
as  possible,  but,  even  though  this  is  done,  the  undergrade  accu- 
mulation will  amount  to  at  least  10  per  cent  and  if  No.  2  and  No. 
3  grades  are  worked  special,  the  undergrade  accumulations  are 


SELLINGLUMBER  231 

much  greater.  Usually  there  is  no  sale  for  these  undergrade  ac- 
cumulations, and  it  necessitates  extra  working,  which  means  a  loss 
in  material  and  an  additional  expense  to  the  manufacturer.  As 
an  illustration,  take  2x6 — 18  end  car  lining  or  siding  worked  to 
1^-inch.  The  best  that  you  can  get  out  of  the  off  grade  is  2x4, 
which  means  a  third  loss  of  feetage. 

The  Handling  of  Off  Grades  Is  Another  Feature.  The  Handling 

This  stock  as  it  usually  comes  from  the  machine  is  either  taken  of  Off  Grades 
to  the  off-grade  yard  or  stacked  in  the  dress  shed  at  an  expense 
of  25c  to  40c  per  M.  When  an  order  is  received  for  this  stock 
worked  to  some  other  size,  not  only  does  it  cost  25c  to  40c  to  re- 
handle  from  off  yard  or  shed,  to  machine,  but  the  re-working 
costs  $1.00  per  M  and  an  additional  undergrade  accumulation  of 
10  per  cent  or  more,  which  usually  is  a  total  loss. 

On  all  special  work  stock  make  your  customer  accept  the 
undergrade  accumulation  at  proportionate  price  to  the  grade  sold, 
or  include  a  sufficient  amount  per  M  feet  to  your  price  to  cover 
up  this  loss  on  this  special  worked  stock.  You  should  not  accept « 
orders  for  special  work  stock  that  requires  the  use  of  special  bits. 
Sometimes  these  bits  not  being  on  hand,  the  cost  of  them  alone 
is  almost  equal  to  the  value  of  the  stock  after  it  is  worked,  pro- 
vided it  is  for  a  small  order.  The  present  high  price  of  Tungsten 
steel,  from  which  these  planing  mill  knives  and  heads  are  made, 
adds  to  the  cost  of  manufacture,  and  the  salesmen  before  making 
sale  should  bear  this  in  mind.  Frequently  bits  on  hand  may  be 
re-ground  to  the  special  shape  required,  but  when  re-ground  prob- 
ably 25  per  cent  of  their  wearing  life  is  consumed  in  the  changing 
of  the  shape  by  the  grinder. 

Full  Thickness  and  Full  Width  Specials  on  Timbers. 
Such  as  6y^  and  8>4  surfaced  four  sides  to  6x8.  Salesmen 
should  charge  the  customer,  when  surfaced  four  sides  material  is 
called  for,  ^-inch  size.  In  other  words,  charge  for  6^x8^2,  as 
it  takes  this  size  material  to  dress  down  to  6x8  plump.  In  other 
words,  you  take  off  ^-inch  to  the  cut,  and  whenever  orders  are 
accepted  allowing  only  %-inch  for  dressing,  the  manufacturers 
lose  money. 


232  SELLINGLUMBER 

Utilization  of  Southern  Pine 
Mill  and  Woods  Waste 

By  Howard  F.  Weiss 

Director,  Government  Forest  Products 
Laboratory 
Madison,  Wis. 

To  make  something  from  nothing  is  impossible.  There  are 
some  who  feel  that  the  practical  utilization  of  Southern  pine 
waste  is  on  a  par  with  this  statement.  While  the  problem  of 
successfully  using  such  waste  is  a  complex  one,  nevertheless,  it  is 
felt  that  much  can  be  done  towards  its  solution.  Encouragement 
comes  when  we  realize  that  the  average  length  of  a  board  in  final 
place  is  about  four  feet.  Furthermore,  the  problem  is  of  such 
enormous  magnitude  that  a  strenuous  effort  to  successfully  solve 
it  must  be  made.  From  some  measurements  of  the  amount  of 
waste  in  Southern  pine  operations,  it  appears  that  only  31  per  cent 
of  the  standing  forest  is  marketed  as  lumber.  One  thousand  feet 
board  measure  of  lumber  represents  eighty-three  cubic  feet  of  wood, 
Per  Cent  and  to  produce  this  eighty-three  cubic  feet  it  is  necessary  to  destroy 

?f  «Tref   268  cubic  feet.    Now.  then,  this  31  per  cent  of  the  standing  timber 
Is  Saved  .  .  .  .,, 

has  to  pay  all  costs  for  promotion,  protection,  taxes,  logging,  mill- 
ing, depreciation,  the  salaries  of  you  salesmen  and,  in  addition, 
a  profit  to  the  owner.  I  believe  you  will  admit  that  this  is  a 
tremendous  burden  to  ask  lumber  to  carry  by  itself,  and  it  is  this 
factor  which  is  largely  responsible  for  many  of  the  difficulties  the 
lumber  industry  has  been  and  is  having.  Then  again,  there  is  little 
likelihood  that  any  of  these  cost  items  will  come  down.  In  fact, 
the  tendency  is  for  them  to  advance.  Furthermore,  the  price  of 
lumber  cannot  rise  appreciably  above  past  levels  because  of  com- 
petition with  other  materials.  The  problem,  therefore,  which  the 
manufacturers  of  Southern  pine  lumber  have  to  face  is  a  most 
difficult  one,  and  any  method  which  will  distribute  the  burden 
of  over-head  and  operating  costs  over  more  than  31  per  cent  of 
the  standing  forest  is  worthy  of  most  serious  consideration. 

It  is  gratifying  that  much  progress  in  the  utilization  of  waste 
has  been  made  and  several  of  the  lumbermen  in  this  Association 
are  now  successfully  working  their  waste  into  commercial  products 


SELLING     LUMBER  233 

at  a  profit.     But  even  under  the  most  efficient  management,  there 

is  much  which  yet  remains  to  be  done.     It  is  the  purpose  of  this    ?roj£ess 

paper  to  briefly  analyze  the  waste  situation  and  to  suggest  certain    utilization 

remedial  measures.     Many  important  details  must  of  necessity  be    of  Waste 

eliminated. 

Amount  of  Waste  Now  Produced. 

If  we  assume  that  the  total  annual  lumber  cut  of  the  United 
States  is  40  billion   feet,   our   sawmills  produce  about  62  million 
cords  of  waste  containing  100  cubic  feet  of  solid  wood  each.     Of    Annual 
this  amount,  approximately  24  million  cords  are  produced  in  the    yello^  °pinc, 
mill  and  38  million  cords  in  the  forest.     In  Southern  pine  we  may    25,000,000 
assume  that  the  annual  cut  is  approximately   16  billion  feet  and    Cords 
that  the  total  waste  now  occurring  in  your  industry  approximately 
25  million  cords. 

Present  Methods  of  Utilising  Southern  Pine  Waste. 
Present  methods  of  successfully  utilizing  the  waste  of  South- 
ern pine  may  be  roughly  divided  into  two  large  divisions.     First,    Methods  of 
mechanical   utilization,    or    the   manufacture   of    wooden    articles;    Utilization 
second,    chemical    utilization,    or   the    production    from    wood    of 
products  other  than  wood.     It  is  with  the  former  that  you  gentle- 
men can  be  of  greatest  assistance  to  your  industry. 

Southern  pine  woods  waste  is  now  being  utilized  for  the 
manufacture  of  cross-ties,  fence  posts,  mine  timbers,  small  poles 
and  poles  and  piling,  pulpwood  and  cordwood.  According  to  our 
records,  Southern  pine  mill  and  factory  waste  is  now  being  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  287  separate  classes  of  articles,  as  shown  in 
table  1.  It  is  my  suggestion  that  you,  gentlemen,  study  very  care- 
fully the  various  articles  listed,  as  this  may  furnish  you  with  sug- 
gestions for  more  satisfactorily  solving  the  disposal  of  the  waste 
of  your  company.  I  regret  that  I  do  not  have  information  at  present 
on  the  sizes  of  the  various  pieces  of  wood  used  in  the  articles  men- 
tioned or  specifications  giving  the  quality  of  wood  required. 

Table  i — Reported  Uses  of  Southern  Pine  Mill  and  Factory  Waste. 

Apple  crates,  Ballot  boxes, 

Art  fence  material,  Balls, 

Auto  repairs,  Banana  drum  heads, 

Art  moulding,  Barbed  wire  spools, 

Bacon  boxes,  Barn  sash, 

Barrel  heads,  Base  blocks, 


234 


SELLING    LUMBER 


Basket  covers, 

Basket  bottoms, 

Battery  boxes, 

Bed  slats, 

Bed  bolsters, 

Beehive  frames, 

Berry  trays, 

Berry  crates, 

Balusters, 

Blinds, 

Blocks, 

Blocking, 

Book  racks, 

Boxes, 

Box  heading, 

Box  partitions, 

Box  ends, 

Box  cleats, 

Box  shooks, 

Braces, 

Brackets, 

Brake  shoes, 

Brake  and  head  blocks, 

Bridging, 

Brush  backs, 

Building  sills, 

Bushel  crates, 

Bundled  kindling  wood, 

Cabinet  trimmings, 

Cabinet  work, 

Cabbage  crates, 

Camp  stool  legs, 

Car  repairs, 

Car  blocking, 

Carvings, 


Ceiling, 
Chair  stock, 
Cheap  mantles, 
Chicken  feeders, 
Churn  dashers, 
Cider  mill  crates, 
Cleats, 

Clothes  racks 
Clothes  poles, 
Clothes  dryers, 
Corner  blocks, 
Corner  moulding, 
Column  members, 
Crates, 
Crate  ends, 
Crating  stock, 
Cripple  posts, 
Culverts, 
Curtain  rollers, 
Cupboards, 
Deck  filling, 
Destination  signs, 
Display  fixtures, 
Dowels, 
Dowel  pins, 
Door  cases, 
Door  cleats, 
Drawers, 
Drawer  cases, 
Drawer  bottoms, 
Draft  timbers, 
Drum  bottoms, 
Dust  boards, 
Embossing, 
Engineer  stakes, 


SELLING     LUMBER 


235 


Fancy  cut  windows, 

Fence  pickets, 

Fencing, 

Finishing, 

Firewood, 

Fireless  cookers, 

Fireproof  blocks, 

Firebrick  crates, 

Flag  poles, 

Flower  stands, 

Flower  boxes, 

Flooring, 

Floor  blocks, 

Floor  fillers, 

Floor  sweeping  compounds, 

Foundry  moulds, 

Freight  car  repairs, 

Friction  blocks, 

Fruit  crates, 

Furniture  novelties, 

Furniture  veneer  cores, 

Furniture  dimension, 

Fuel, 

Garden  sticks, 

Grain  doors, 

Grain  screens, 

Grain  thresher  parts, 

Grain  markers, 

Grain  strips, 

Grade  stakes, 

Grave  markers, 

Grating  slats, 

Grill  work, 

Gutter  brackets, 

Glue  blocks, 

Gymnasium  apparatus, 

Hames, 

Head  blocks, 

Hammer  handles, 

Handles, 


Hand  corn  seed  graders, 

Harness, 

Hay  rack  frames, 

Hose  reels, 

Horse  bedding, 

Inlaid  work, 

Incubators, 

Ironing  boards, 

Lace  spools, 

Ladder  rungs, 

Lard  crates, 

Lath, 

Lattice  work, 

Lawn  benches, 

Lawn  swings, 

Lodge  emblems, 

I  umber  piling  sticks, 

Manual  training, 

Manure  wagon  parts, 

Match  blocks, 

Medicine  cabinets, 

Medicine  boxes, 

Metal  ceiling  strips, 

Mine  blocking, 

Mine  caps, 

Mine  doors, 

Moulding, 

Nail  boxes. 

Nail  polisher  blocks, 

Neck  yokes, 

Newel  posts, 

Novelties, 

Nutlock  boards, 

Onion  crates, 

Ornaments, 

Outriggers, 

Palings, 

Packing  house  meat  boxes, 

Parts  of  kitchen  cabinets, 

Parting  strips, 

Paving  blocks, 


236 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Peach  basket  bottoms, 

Peach  basket  tops, 

Pegs, 

Pipe  linings, 

Pit  caps, 

Pitman  rods, 

Pickets, 

Plant  boxes, 

Platform  filling, 

Plinth  blocks, 

Plow  rounds, 

Plugs, 

Porches, 

Powder  car  strips, 

Porch  swings, 

Porch  brackets, 

Porch  balusters, 

Porch  column  caps, 

Porch  seats, 

Porch  spindles, 

Potato  crates, 

Poultry  coops, 

Powder  chemicals, 

Propelling  levers, 

Pumps, 

Pulpwood, 

Quarter  round  moulding, 

Rails  (vehicle,  etc.) 

Railroad  shims, 

Railroad  ties, 

Refrigerator  car  parts, 

Roofing  slats, 

Rosettes, 

Running  boards, 

Running  board  saddle  blocks, 

Saw  bucks, 

Salt  meat  shipping  boxes, 

Screen  mouldings, 

Sash, 

Screen  door  stock, 

Screen  slides, 


Short  spring  packing, 

Shelving, 

Shingles, 

Shovel  blocks, 

Short  car  flooring, 

Showcase  fixtures, 

Singletrees, 

Silo  parts, 

Sidewalk  sills, 

Slats, 

Slack  staves, 

Slack  heading, 

Small  school  desks, 

Small  display  fixtures, 

Small  brackets, 

Small  show  cases, 

Small  turnings, 

Small  cabinet  work, 

Small  machine  parts, 

Small  dimension, 

Small  water  tanks, 

Small  pigeon  holes, 

Small  furniture  novelties, 

Small  window  sash, 

Soda  water  cases, 

Spokes, 

Spindles, 

Spring  bars, 

Spools, 

Spring  boxes, 

Stair  wedges  and  keys, 

Step  ladders, 

Squaring  frames, 

Stools, 

Swings, 

Survey  stakes, 

Surveyors'  hubs, 

Tables, 

Tail  gates, 

Tent  stakes, 

Thin  timber, 


SELLINGLUMBER  237 


Thin  ceiling,  Wagon  grating, 

Tie  plugs,  Wagon  pins, 

Tiling  strips,  Wagon  stakes, 

Tobacco  sticks,  Wagon  box  cleats, 

Tongue 'blocks,  Walking  board  cleats, 

Tov  building  blocks,  Washboards, 

Toys,  Washing  machine  pins, 

Transfer  cases,  Wedges, 

'rrick  shims,  Window  beads, 

Tray  stock,  Window  stops, 

^nmmings,  Window  jambs, 

Turnings,  Window  screens, 

T1 ed  balusters>  Wire  cleats, 

Vehicle  bodies, 

w  ,  Wire  reels, 

Veneer  door  cores, 

Veneer  cores,  Wheelbarrow  parts, 

Vertical  file  cases,  Wood  washers, 

V-crimp  roofing  sticks,  Wrecking^  blocks. 

The  chemical  utilization  of  Southern  pine  waste  has  also 
made  gratifying  progress.  The  most  important  processes  now  in 
successful  operation  are :  the  destructive  distillation  process,  which 
converts  the  waste  into  turpentine,  wood  oils  and  charcoal;  the 
extraction  process,  which  converts  the  waste  into  turpentine  and 
rosin ;  the  sulphate  process,  whereby  Southern  pine  waste  is  con- 
verted  into  kraft  paper;  and  the  ethyl  alcohol  process,  which  pro-  Utilization 
duces  ethyl  (grain)  alcohol.  This  is  not  the  place  to  enter  into  a  of  Waste 
discussion  of  the  technique  of  these  processes,  but  from  a  hasty 
inventory,  it  appears  that  250,000  cords  of  Southern  pine  waste 
are  now  being  used  annually  by  the  processes  just  mentioned,  or, 
roughly,  about  1  per  cent  of  the  total  waste  of  the  Southern  pines. 
It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  the  chance  for  extending  these  pro- 
cesses is  very  good,  particularly  in  so  far  as  the  manufacture  of 
paper  and  fiber  products,  grain  alcohol  and  rosin  are  concerned. 

I  want  to  show  you  some  articles  which  can  be  made  from 
wood  waste,  in  order  that  your  conception  of  the  value  of  wood 
~r^M  be  broadened.  It  is  my  firm  conviction  that  it  is  in  the 
production  of  articles  like  these  that  the  future  of  wood  utilization 
1o~>s  brightest,  and  that  such  increased  production  will  revolu- 
tionize the  profitableness  of  timber  operations. 


238  SELLING    LUMBER 

(Mr.  Weiss  exhibited  here  kraft  paper,  paper  twine  and  rope, 
onion  sacks,  coffee  bags,  barrel  tops,  fiber  rugs,  silk  cloth,  silk 
stockings,  sausage  cases,  and  a  number  of  other  articles  made 
from  wood,  (See  report  of  his  impromptu  remarks  in  proceedings 
of  the  convention,  given  elsewhere  in  this  book.) 

Suggestions  to  Improve   the   Waste  Problem. 

After  this  brief  consideration  of  the  importance  of  the  waste 
problem,  the  amount  of  waste  now  occurring,  and  the  extent  to 
which  it  is  being  used,  I  wish  to  discuss  with  you  certain  sugges- 
tions, which  if  made  effective  would,  in  my  judgment,  greatly  in- 
crease the  returns  now  derived  from  the  utilization  of  Southern 
Pine  waste.  The  problem  is  so  big,  reaching  not  only  into  the 
field  of  salesmanship,  but  into  manufacturing  efficiency  and  science, 
that  you  gentlemen  cannot  be  held  responsible  for  its  solution, 
How  the  but  you  can,  undoubtedly,  do  much  to  assist  in  its  solution.  In 
Can  Help  addition  to  your  efforts  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  both  the 
in  Waste  manufacturers  of  pine  lumber  and  for  technical  workers  to  de- 
vote much  brains  and  •  money  to  it.  Do  not  feel  that  I  advocate 
converting  you  lumber  salesmen  into  drummers  for  babies'  silk 
stockings  or  ladies'  dresses.  You  are  too  old  for  that.  These 
processes  when  finally  established  will  require  a  specially  trained 
corps  of  salesmen ;  for  example,  the  products  of  the  paper  mills 
will  be  sold  by  paper  salesmen,  but  all  of  you  will  be  working  in 
a  common  cause — the  increased  utilization  of  wood.  I  believe  that 
your  field  lies  in  pushing  a  better  utilization  of  wood  along  the 
mechanical  lines  mentioned  above. 

The  specific  suggestions  to  improve  the  utilization  of  South- 
ern pine  waste  which  I  wish  to  consider  with  you  are :  First,  an 
intensive  study  should  be  made  of  the  kinds,  dimensions  and  qual- 
ity of  wood  required  by  the  various  wood  using  industries.  .As  a 
rule,  salesmen  of  lumber  are  not  sufficiently  informed  in  regard  to 
the  manner  in  which  lumber  is  finally  worked  by  the  wood  using 
Learn  Fac-  industries,  and  I  believe  that  many  salesmen  would  strengthen 
themselves  if  they  studied  the  operation  of  various  wood  using  fac- 
tories and  saw  with  their  own  eyes  the  manner  in  which  boards  are 
cut  and  used.  It  is  along  this  line  that  I  believe  you  can  be  of  great- 
est assistance  in  the  solution  of  the  Southern  Pine  mill  waste  prob- 
lem. You  can  by  such  study  collect  a  fund  of  information  in  re- 
gard to  the  dimensions  and  quality  of  wood  required  by  the  wood 
using  industries  which,  if  reported  to  your  Association  or  to  your 


SELLING     LUMBER 


239 


concern,   would  undoubtedly   suggest   ways   and  means  of   dispos- 
ing of  much  waste  now  produced. 

It  might  interest  you  to  know  that  the  United  States  Forest 
Service  has  established  in  Washington  what  is  known  as  a  "Wood 
Waste  Exchange."  It  has  listed  the  names  of  various  manufac- 
turers who  have  waste  to  sell  and  also  the  names  of  various  con- 
sumers who  wish  to  purchase  waste.  These  lists  give  the  names 
of  the  concerns,  the  kinds  of  woods  they  require,  sizes,  and  quan- 
tity annually  consumed  or  produced.  I  believe  the  lumber  associa- 
tions of  the  United  States  would  profit  by  building  up  similar  lists 
for  their  own  special  requirements,  making  it  available  to  all  of 
the  manufacturers  who  belong  to  the  association.  At  the  risk  of 
making  myself  unpori^ar  W1"t  <^  lumber  secretaries  who  are  al- 
ready comfortably  occupied,  I  think  that  the  problem  of  success- 
fully utilizing  wood  waste  is  of  sufficient  importance  to  justify 
their  association  in  employing  a  man  who  could  specialize  on  this 
problem  and  who  would  report  to  the  association  facts  and  figures 
concerning  markets  for  waste.  Tt  is  my  judgment  that  this,  pro- 
cedure would  prove  more  effective  than  placing  the  responsibility 
upon  the  salesmen,  since  the  question  of  wood  waste  utilization 
is  a  special  one  and  requires  concentrated  and  continuous  applica- 
tion. 

The  second  suggestion  to  bring  about  improvement  in  the 
utilization  of  waste  is  that  greater  attention  should  be  given  to 
the  manufacture  of  lumber.  In  other  words,  this  phase  of  the 
problem  belongs  to  the  manufacturing  rather  than  to  the  sales 
end  of  the  lumber  business.  I  allude  specifically  to  the  cutting  of 
log  lengths,  to  the  sawing  of  lumber,  to  careless  edging,  trimming 
and  planing,,  improper  and  careless  kiln-drying  and  yard  season- 
ing, etc.  Let  me  illustrate :  In  a  study  which  we  made  at  two  saw- 
mills in  Oregon  which  manufactured  Douglas  fir,  we  found,  that 
one  mill  planing  4/4  C-select,  the  planer  was  fed  at  the  rate  of 
150  feet  per  minute,  the  blades  making  2,800  revolutions  per  minute. 
At  the  other  mill,  manufacturing  the  same  kind  of  lumber,  the 
speed  of  feed  was  73  feet  per  minute,  the  planer  making  3,400 
revolutions.  The  degrading  at  the  first  mill  attributed  to  the  ma- 
chine was  70  cents  per  thousand,  and  in  the  second  10  cents.  It 
is  estimated  that  lumber  manufacturers  lose  annually  about  $33,- 
000,000  due  to  improper  seasoning  and  kiln-drying  of  their  lum- 
ber. We  made  a  study  of  the  extent  of  depreciation  in  air-season- 
ing lumber  at  a  Western  yellow  pine  mill  and  found  that  the  4-4-B- 


A  Govern- 
ment "Wood 
Waste 
Exchange." 


Problems 
for  the 
Manufacturer 


240  SELLINGLUMBER 

select  Western  Yellow  Pine  depreciated  15.2  per  cent  in  air-dry- 
ing, representing  a  loss  of  $6.19  per  thousand.  Some  tests  made 
at  another  mill  in  the  same  locality  where  the  lumber  was  care- 
fully graded  and  where  greater  care  was  taken  by  the  manage- 
ment in  properly  piling  the  lumber,  the  loss  for  the  same  grade 
of  boards  was  only  2.6  per  cent,  or  $1.13  per  thousand.  Another 
study  was  made  in  a  sugar  pine  mill  in  California  which  showed 
excessive  losses  in  air-drying.  I  give  below  a  table  showing  what 
was  found  in  this  study.  You  will  note  that  the  deterioration  of 
the  Nos.  1  and  2  clear  sugar  pine  amounted  to  $17.90  per  thousand. 

Table  2 — Causes  and  Amount  of  Deterioration  in  the  Yard  of  No. 
i  and  No.  2  Clear  Sugar  Pine : 

Amount       Percentage      Percentage 

Ft.  of  of  Loss 

Cause —  B.  M.  Pile          Deterioration     per  M. 

No  deterioration 1,380  24.5  .0  $     .0 

Check 426                  7.5  9.9  1.77 

Check  and  stain 178                  3.1  4.2  .75 

Blue  stain 2,917  51.7  68.2  12.21 

Stain  and  pitch 121                   2.1  2.9  .52 

Stain  and  hookholes.          37                     .6  .9  .16 

Stain  and  flume 115                  2.0  2.7  .48 

Pitch 145                  2.5  3.5  .63 

Flume  damage 208                  3.8  4.6  .82 

Hookholes 57                   1.0  1.3  .23 

Cross  grain 73                   1.2  1.8  .33 


Total 5,657  100.0  100.0  $17.90 

Unfortunately  "we  have  not  conducted  studies  of  this  kind  in 
Investigation  the  Southen  pine  region,  so  I  am  not  able  to  give  you  specific 
Astonish  figures  from  your  locality,  but  I  feel  that  if  you  would  examine 

Southern          critically  into  the  deterioration  or  loss  of  your  lumber  caused  by 
facturers!"1"     imPr°per    manufacturing,    kiln-drying    arid    piling,    you    would    be 

astonished  at  what  is  now  occurring. 

As  our  third  suggestion :  I  believe  the  lumber  manuf actur- 
Improved  ers  should  co-operate  more  closely  with  the  manufacturers  of  wood 
Wood-  working  machinery  in  the  development  of  machines  to  reduce  the 

Machines          cost  of  handling  and  manufacturing  waste.     While  in  specific  in- 
Needed,  stances  this  co-operation  is  close,  I  believe  it  is  not  close  enough 

and  that  if  the  lumber  manufacturers  worked  more  closely  with 


SELLINGLUMBER  241 

the  manufacturers  of  wood  working  machines,  greater  progress  in 
the  successful  utilization  of  waste  would  result.  One  of  the  most 
difficult  problems  to  be  solved  in  the  successful  use  of  waste  is 
the  elimination  of  excessive  costs  for  handling  waste.  When  waste 
is  handled  by  hand,  the  cost  of  making  a  product  from  it  is  fre- 
quently so  high  that  little  or  no  profit  can  be  realized.  Lumber 
manufacturers,  through  their  associations,  should  call  their  specific 
problems  to  the  attention  of  these  wood  working  machinery  con- 
cerns and  encourage  them  in  testing  out  such  machines  as  they 
may  develop. 

I  distinctly  remember  when  I  was  last  in  British  Columbia, 
I  met  a  young  engineer  who  was  attempting  to  perfect  a  new  type 
of  skyline  skidder.  He  had  his  machine  under  test  at  one  of  the 
logging  camps  on  the  West  coast,  and  when  I  met  him  he  was  very 
much  discouraged  and  depressed.  Practically  every  man  in  the 
camp  from  the  woods  superintendent  down,  ridiculed  his  idea,  and 
hurled  at  him  no  encouragement  but  much  ridicule  and  abuse.  Such 
a  spirit  is  fundamentally  wrong  and  is  largely  responsible  for  the 
slowness  with  which  the  lumber  manufacturers  have  improved  the 
efficiency  of  their  business  as  compared  with  manufacturers  in 
other  lines. 

My  fourth  suggestion  is  that  an  effective  unit  cost  keeping 
system  should  be  adopted  which  will  give  the  manager  a  sharp 
knowledge  of  the  cost  at  all  stages  in  manufacturing  lumber.  With- 
out such  a  knowledge,  a  business  cannot  be  run  most  successfully. 
At  this  point  I  wish  to  call  to  your  attention  the  results  of  two 

tests  we  made  to  determine  the  rate  at  which  .lumber  is  sawed  from    TT  .    _ 

Unit  Cost- 
large  and  small  logs  and  the  cost  per  thousand  feet  of  manufactur-    Keeping  Sys- 

ing  lumber  from  such  logs.  I  might  state  that  these  tests  were  tems  LackmS 
made  at  two  different  sawmills,  a  stop-watch  being  kept  on  the 
various  stages  of  the  operation  and  where  no  change  in  the  regu- 
lar method  of  sawing  was  made.  The  first  study  was  in  a  Douglas 
fir  mill  sawing  grade  2  logs  24  feet  long.  It  furnished  the  fol- 
lowing data: 

Sound  Douglas  Fir. 

Mostly  2-inch  stock  but  a  little  1-inch  stock  and  a  few  tim- 
bers cut  uniformly  from  logs  of  various  sizes. 
Diameter  Rate  Cost 

of  Logs                                                           Production        per  M.  Net 
Inches.  per  Hour.     Lumber  Tally. 

12      4,860  $5.70 


242  SELLING     LUMBER 

30      8,820  3.09 

Another  test  made  at  a  hardwood  mill  in  the  South  where 
the  stock  was  sawed  into  1-inch  lumber  gave  the  following  data : 

Sound   Red    Oak. 

Plain  sawn  16-foot.    Mostly  1-inch  stock  but  a  few  ties. 
Diameter  Rate  Cost 

of  Logs  Production        per  M.  Net 

Inches.  per  Hour.     Lumber  Tally. 

15 3,215  $2.37 

25 4,581    .  1.66 

Of  course  the  process  of  sawing  logs  into  lumber  is  simply 
one  stage  out  of  several  which  ought  to  be  studied.  It  is  my  feel- 
ing that  if  such  an  accurate  analysis  of  logging  and  milling  costs 
were  made  it  would  result  in  materially  modifying  the  products 
into  which  many  logs  are  now  sawed,  and  would  assist  in  the  so- 
lution of  the  wood  waste  problem. 

The  fifth  suggestion  is  that  lumbermen  should  take  an  active 
interest   in   and   co-operate   closely    with,   all    institutions   that   are 
scientifically  studying  the  manufacture  of  merchantable  products 
from  wood.     I  have  in  mind  such  institutions  as  the  one  I  repre- 
sent.    I  believe  that  by  a  closer  co-operation  much  more  could  be 
Lumbermen   accomplished  in  reducing  the  losses  now  occurring  in  the  manu- 
Should  Aid    facture  of  lumber  through  the  production  of  inferior  lumber  and 
Work  waste.     It  is  my  feeling  that  not  only  should  the  lumbermen  make 

it  a  point  to  co-operate  very  closely  with  such  technical  organiza- 
tions already  established,  but  that  they  should  have  institutions 
of  their  own  which  would  study  their  specific  problems.  I  am 
fully  convinced  after  a  number  of  years  of  careful  study  and  ex- 
perience in  this  matter  that  such  organizations  would  pay  hand- 
some returns  on  the  investment. 

My  sixth  and  last  suggestion  is  that  the  lumbermen   should 
encourage  the  purchase  and  use  of  all  articles  made  from  wood 
waste  in  so  far  as  they  can.     I  have  in  mind,  for  example,  such 
Msule  from      artlc^es  as  tne  wooden  box  and  paper  twine  made  from  mill  waste. 
Wood  Such  use  on  the  part  of  the  lumbermen  themselves  will  encour- 

age concerns  struggling  to  manufacture  wood  waste,  and  will  in 
the  long  run  reflect  to  the  direct  advantage  of  the  lumber  manu- 
facturers. 

In  conclusion,  it  is  evident  from  this  brief  discussion 
that  you  gentlemen  representing  the  sales  end  of  the  business  can- 
not be  held  responsible  for  bringing  to  a  successful  conclusion  the 


SELLING     LUMBER 


243 


utilization  of  Southern  pine  waste,  but  that  there  is  much  which 
you  can  do,  particularly  in  the  studying  of  markets  for  wooden 
articles  along  the  lines  suggested  above.  I  have  tried  to  show  that 
the  present  as  well  as  the  future  of  Southern  pine  waste  utiliza- 
tion requires  the  combined  brains,  energy  and  direction  not  only 
of  you  salesmen,  but  of  technical  workers  and  manufacturers 
as .  well.  Whatever  direction  your  energies  might  take,  I  believe 
you  should  keep  clearly  in  mind  that  from  a  purely  individualistic 
and  selfish  standpoint  the  object  of  all  your  efforts  is  to  put  waste 
to  an  economical  use,  thus  adding  to  the  income  derived  from 
the  forest.  This  will  help  to  keep  the  price  of  lumber  at  a  level 
where  it  can  compete  successfully  with  other  materials,  and  to  re- 
tain the  lumber  industry  on  a  profitable  basis.  But  there  is  also 
a  broader  and  more  patriotic  object,  namely,  putting  our  great 
natural  resource,  American  timber,  to  its  fullest  and  most  com- 
plete use.  I  am  sure  you  will  agree  with  me  in  that  both  objects 
are  well  worthy  of  most  intensive  study  and  application. 


Co-operation 
From  the  Saw  Mill 

By  C.  E.  MartiiT 

Sabine  Lumber  Company 
Cedar  Rapids,  la. 

Perfect  co-operation  can  be  gained  only  through  the  employ- 
ment of  the  highest  efficiency  applied  to  the  three  chief  factors 
governing  the  marketing  of  lumber,  and  these  three  factors  should 
be  analyzed  one  by  one. 

The  General  Sales  Office. 

Inasmuch  as  the  main  action  radiates   from  the  sales   office, 
this  is  the  first  factor  to  be  discussed.     To  begin  with,  the  sales 
manager  should  select  for  the  road  men  that  have  natural  sales 
ability  and  horse  sense;  men  in  whom  he  can  confide  and  from    tion  of 
whom  he  should  hold  back  nothing  in  the  way  of  information.     If    *jje  Sales 
there  is  a  threatened  change  in  the  market,  either  better  or  worse, 
let  him  so  advise  the  road  man,  who  will  discover  the  situation 
sooner  or  later  through  his  own  resources.     Forever  talking  high 


The  Obliga- 


244 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Information 
That  Sales- 
men Should 
Have 


All  Com- 
petitors  Are 
Not  "Snakes. 


prices  is  a  poor  sales  argument.  If  the  man  that  is  continually  pre- 
dicting higher  prices  next  week  is  so  sure  that  same  will  be  effective, 
the  proper  thing  for  him  to  do  is  to  hold  his  lumber  and  sell  it  next 
week  instead  of  placing  this  argument  before  his  salesmen. 

A  salesman  should  be  furnished  with  a  stock  sheet  or  correc- 
tions on  stock  sheets  at  least  once  a  week. 

He  should  be  furnished  with  information  as  to  existing  con- 
ditions in  other  territories  aside  from  his  own. 

He  should  be  advised  fully  as  to  the  facilities  for  the  plants 
for  whom  he  sells  as  well  as  the  facilities  of  his  closest  competitors ; 
nowadays  one  must  know  the  other  fellow's  business  nearly  as  well 
as  his  own. 

Road  men  should  be  kept  closely  informed  from  time  to  time 
as  to  the  character  of  timber  in  which  the  mills  are  cutting,  as 
different  classes  of  timber  produce  better  or  poorer  grades,  although 
they  are  all  sold  on  the  same  basis. 

The  transit  car  feature  should  be  placed  before  the  salesman, 
explaining  the  general  nature  of  this  business  and  the  origin  of 
transit,  also  the  comparative  amounts  of  transits  and  direct  mill 
shipments.  There  is  no  reason  why  this  class  of  business  should 
affect  the  general  market,  as  it  does  at  the  present  time.  Salesmen 
should  be  furnished  with  sufficient  information  to  successfully  com- 
bat the  transit  feature. 

Information  of  almost  any  character  relating  to  lumber  busi- 
ness is  helpful  to  salesmen  and  the  general  sales  office  should  see 
that  he  gets  it. 

The  'Road  Salesman.  • 

A  salesman  in  any  line,  in  order  to  make  a  success  of  his 
work,  must  have  implicit  confidence  in  his  employers  and  their 
product.  He  must  first  convince  himself  that  he  has  the  best 
connection  obtainable  and  then  proceed  to  convince  others. 

He  must  gather  information  in  regard  to  his  line  in  all  man- 
ners conceivable.  One  of  the  best  means  is,  through  friendly  asso- 
ciation with  the  competitors.  This  association  should  be  closer  and 
more  general  among  competitive  salesmen.  Gum-shoe  work  is  out 
of  date  and  the  idea  that  all  competitors  are  snakes  is  obsolete. 

Salesman  should  know  his  line  thoroughly.  He  need  not  be  a 
practical  sawmill  man,  if  he  is  possessed  of  good  sense  and  keen 
observation.  However,  he  should  have  a  general  knowledge  of  saw 
and  planing  mill  operations  and  detailed  knowledge  of  his  own 
mill's  facilities. 


SELLINGLUMBER  245 

For  the  benefit  of  salesmen  that  have  missed  the  sawmill 
course,  information  should  be  compiled  and  placed  before  them 
defining  good  and  bad  orders  from  the  sawmill  standpoint.  This 
might  be  effected  through  the  illustration  of  various  sample  orders. 
Even  practical  sawmill  men  through  their  anxiety  to  fill  up  the 
order  book,  sometimes  take  on  bad  business  and  some  suggestions 
to  jar  their  memory  are  not  out  of  line. 

The  salesmen  should  learn  that  yellow  pine   (except  special 
stock)  is  not  cut  to  order,  but  is  an  accumulation  regulated  by  the 
character  of  the  logs.    Therefore  orders  have  to  be  made  to  fit  the   pit  the 
stock  instead  of  stock  made  to  fit  the  orders  as  is  customary  in   Stock 
other  manufacturing  lines. 

He  should  not  promise  quick  shipment  when  he  knows  it  will 
embarrass  the  mill  to  fulfill  his  promise.  These  occasions  are 
often  prompted  by  over-anxiety.  Either  influence  the  buyer  to 
change  his  specifications  or  let  some  other  fellow  have  the  order. 
It  may  be  just  the  kind  of  an  order  he  is  seeking.  Salesmen  should 
refrain  from  occasionally  trying  to  put  something  over  on  the  mill, 
he'll  get  it  put  over  on  him  if  he  keeps  on  trying  this  stunt. 

Not  all  logs  are  16  feet  long.  This  is  the  general  opinion  of 
several  thousand  carpenters  and  quite  a  number  of  salesmen,  judg-  Varied 

ing  from  the  appearance  of  their  orders.    It  will  not  be  considered   Lengths 

Appreciated 
a  crime  by  your  sales  manager  to  try  and  sell  some  of  the  other   at  the  Mill 

lengths. 

Quite  often  mills  accumulate  surplus  stock  in  certain  items 
and  special  concessions  are  made  to  move  it  quickly.  In  such  in- 
stances, salesmen  should  by  all  means  avoid  including  any  other 
item  or  items  on  which  the  mill  is  short,  as  such  additions  kill  the 
order  completely. 

Try  at  all  times  to  sell  what  the  mill  wants  to  move,  rather 
than  exactly  that  for  which  the  buyer  inquires.  Quite  otten  it  is 
an  easy  matter  to  make  slight  changes  in  an  order,  thereby  im- 
proving it  immensely  from  a  mill  standpoint.  Work  for  the  mills, 
they  are  responsible  for  your  bread  and  butter.  The  buyer  is  well 
able  to  take  care  of  his  end  of  the  game. 

The  Shipping  Force. 

The  sawmill  proper  carries  only  a  general  interest  for  the  sales 
force,  except  on  special  orders  and  the  percentage  of  these  is  small 
with  the  average  country  trade.  Our  real  interest  is  in  the  planing 
mill  and  the  shipping  platform.  This  department. is  responsible 


246 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The 

Importance 
of  Shipping 
Clerks. 


What  Mill 
Operators 
Might  Learn 
at  Retail 
Yards. 


Wet,  Green 
and  Crooked 
Stock 


for  the  reputation  of  the  sales  office  and  can  either  retard  or  ad- 
vance their  efforts  towards  securing  and  holding  a  steady  trade 
decidedly. 

The  shipping  clerk  and  his  assistant  loom  up  before  the  road 
man  as  the  most  important  factors  around  the  mill.  Judging  from 
the  salaries  paid  them  and  the  education  given  them,  they  do  not 
seem  so  important  to  the  average  operator. 

These  men  should,  as  in  the  case  of  salesmen,  have  at  least 
a  working  knowledge  of  the  other  end  of  the  game.  It  has  been  a 
common  practice  for  many  years  to  afford  salesmen  periodical  trips 
to  the  mill,  but  the  idea  of  sending  the  shipping  clerks  out  to  the 
retail  districts  seems  to  have  been  entirely  overlooked.  Send  them 
out  with  your  several  salesmen  on  a  sixty-day  trip,  they  will  return 
much  better  prepared  to  handle  their  work  intelligently.  A  tailor 
can  make  a  better  fitting  suit  of  clothes  by  measuring  his  man 
personally  than  by  working  from  a  mail  order.  In  this  connection 
it  would  do  no  harm  for  a  few  of  the  sawmill  owners  to  take  such 
a  trip.  Many  of  them  have  not  seen  the  inside  of  a  retail  yard  for  ten 
or  fifteen  years.  Styles  have  changed  in  lumber  during  this  time, 
and  the  real  men  behind  the  guns  should  get  themselves  up  to  date. 

These  men  would  discover,  especially  in  the  Corn  Belt,  that 
practically  all  lumber,  both  common  and  upper  grade,  is  piled  under 
shed,  thus  necessitating  the  receipt  of  dry  lumber  or  causing  extra 
expense  and  great  inconvenience  in  handling  wet  or  green  stoclc. 
They  would  find  that  blue  lumber  is  unsalable  at  the  same  price 
as  dry  bright  lumber.  In  fact,  the  average  consumer  thinks  that 
blue  stuff  is  already  half  rotten  and  he  will  not  take  it. 

They  would  see  the  necessity  of  quick  service  and  would 
not  consider  a  letter  from  a  retailer  rushing  his  order  so  trivial  a 
matter  as  they  do  now.  Any  lumber  yard  requires  too  large  an  in- 
vestment of  capital  for  the  .buyer  to  anticipate  his  wants  'over  sixty 
days  in  advance.  Lumber  for  north  central  points  is  in  the  hands 
of  the  carrier  for  from  two  to  six  weeks,  and  an  order  should  not 
be  held  at  the  mill  over  two  weeks  at  the  most. 

There  is  absolutely  no  sale  for  mis-manufactured  upper  grade 
lumber  in  the  better  districts.  It  had  better  be  remilled  or  worked 
into  something  else  at  the  base  of  operations.  Also  crooked  stock 
has  to  be  cut  up  into  short  lengths,  so  this  may  as  well  be  done  at 
the  mill.  It  will  save  the  salesman  from  a  cussing  and  maybe  save 
the  customer.  In  this  connection,  it  is  generally  conceded  that  yel- 
low pine  grades  as  followed  by  the  better  class  of  mills  are  satis- 


SELLINGLUMBER  247 

factory  to  the  retailers  with  possibly  a  few  exceptions.  No  mention 
is  made  in  the  rules  as  to  wet  or  green  or  crooked  lumber  in  the 
common  grade.  These  features  should  be  covered  in  some  manner, 
as  the  mills  invariably  make  allowances  for  these  defects  and  there 
should  be  some  standard  rules  governing  the  shipment  of  wet,  green 
or  crooked  stock. 

Orders  should  be  loaded  in  accordance  with  the  original.    Such 
an  occurrence  as  loading  long  on  one  length  to  make  up  shortage 
on   another   is  very   aggravating  to  the  consignee.     He  orders   in 
accordance  with  his  wants  and  probably  has  some  of  the  stock  sold 
on  bill.     Also  omitting  an  item  entirely,  though  it  be  small,  may    Qrders 
prove  embarrassing  and  expensive  to  the  customer.     The  privilege    Should  Be 
of  loading  ten  to  twenty  feet  lengths  on  inch  stock  should  not  be    Qjlle|j  as 
abused  as  it  is  at  the  present  time.    A  fair  assortment  of  the  various 
lengths  should  be  loaded,  instead  of  cramming  the  order  on  the 
undesirable  lengths  as  is  quite  common  practice. 

The  sale  of  lumber  is  effected  through  the  medium  of  one,  two 
or  a  combination  of  three  principals,  i.  e.,  service,  quality  and  price. 
The  salesman  by  soliciting  only  such  orders  as  are  desirable  to  the 
mill,  makes  quick  service  possible.  The  mill  has  no  good  reasoit 
for  shipping  other  than  high  quality  and  quality  embraces  not  only 
the  right  kind  of  lumber  but  the  manner  in  which  it  is  loaded.  Good 
service  and  good  quality  pave  the  way  for  a  good  price. 


Co-operation  a  Salesman 

Should  Have  From  the 

General  Office 

By  W.  L.  Henry 

Chicago  Lumber  &  Coal  Company 

Springfield,  111. 

Section  37  of  the  grading  rules  says :  ''No  arbitrary  rules 
for  the  inspection  of  lumber  can  be  maintained  with  satisfaction. 
The  variations  from  any  given  rule  are  numerous  and  suggested 
by  practical  common  sense,  so  nothing  more  definite  than  the  gen- 
eral features  of  different  grades  should  be  attempted  by  rules  of 
inspection." 


248 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Common 
Sense  in  Sell- 
ing Lumber 


The  Sales- 
man's First 
Asset  Is 
Confidence 


Office-Made 
Route  Sheet 
Hampers 
Salesman 


Keeping  Sales- 
men Posted 
on  Corres- 
pondence 


This  might  be  very  aptly  applied  to  the  selling  of  lumber, 
especially  that  portion  which  refers  to  the  use  of  "common  sense." 
Not  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  have  general  rules  for  the  guidance 
of  the  man  on  the  road,  but  he  should  not  be  burdened  with  a  lot 
of  "red  tape"  and  receive  so  many  bulletins  and  instructions  that 
he  hesitates  when  a  question  confronts  him  and  proceeds  only  after 
he  has  referred  to  "Hoyle"  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  there  is 
a  precedent.  Give  him  all  the  necessary  information  in  the  way 
of  lists  of  stocks  you  have  to  offer,  price  lists,  etc.,  but  do  not 
lead  him  to  feel  that  you  have  no  confidence  in  his  judgment  and 
ability  to  cope  with  problems  which  arise  from  time  to-  time  and 
for  which  no  fixed  rule  will  apply. 

The  first  great  asset  of  a  man  who  is  trying  to  sell  your  wares 
is  confidence,  not  alone  confidence  of  his  own  ability,  but  the 
knowledge  that  he  has  the  full  backing  of  the  general  office.  At 
one  time,  some  of  the  lumber  firms  even  went  so  far,  in  depriv- 
ing their  road  men  of  their  identity,  as  to  make  out  their  route 
sheets  and  write  letters  to  their  trade,  saying  "our  Mr.  Jenkins 
will  call  on  you"  at  a  stated  time.  This  creates  the  impression 
with  the  retail  dealers  that  you  haven't  confidence  enough  in  your 
man  or  he  hasn't  the  ability  to  even  figure  out  a  route  sheet. 

The  second  greatest  co-operation  the  s'u.sman  can  have  from 
the  main  office  is  the  feeling  among  his  customers  that  you  have 
confidence  in  him,  and  the  route  sheet  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the 
many  things  which  subtract  rather  than  add  to  this  belief.  To 
the  average  customer,  the  man  who  calls  at  his  office  and  solicits 
his  business  is  the  firm,  as  it  is  the  only  part  with  which  he  comes 
in  actual  contact,  and  you  are  largely  judged  by  the  impression 
he  creates.  I  saw  recently  where  someone  suggested  the  idea  of 
writing  to  his  customers  to  ascertain  what  they  thought  of  your 
man.  In  the  first  place,  if  he  stands  well  with  them,  you  will  soon 
find  your  answer  in  the  orders  brought  before  you,  and  if  he  isn't 
making  the  proper  impression,  the  effect  will  soon  be  apparent, 
and  your  letter  would  only  arouse  distrust  and  accomplish  no  good. 

A  salesman  should  be  furnished  with  copies  of  all  correspond- 
ence which  emanates  from  the  general  office  to  his  customers, 
whether  it  is  a  quotation  in  regard  to  an  unshipped  order,  tracing 
a  car,  a  grade  claim,  a  question  as  to  discount  or  what  not,  for  this 
enables  him  to  form  an  intelligent  idea  of  what  a  customer  is 
talking  about  when  he  visits  the  purchasing  office  and  is  asked  when 
car  76857  will  arrive.  The  salesman  says  "this  car  passed  Cairo 


SELLINGLUMBER  249 

on  the  26th  and  should  be  in  the  hands  of  your  delivering  line  not 
later  than  tomorrow."  Your  representative  has  just  repeated  what 
you  told  the  customer  in  your  letter,  but  it  strengthens  that  confi- 
dence on  the  part  of  the  buyer  in  your  man  and  leads  him  to  be- 
lieve that  he  is  dealing  with  a  "live  wire,"  one  who  has  his  inter- 
ests at  heart  and  on  whom  he  can  depend. 

I  once  worked  for  a  line  yard  firm,  and  one  of  their  strict- 
est requirements  was  that  the  yard  managers  report  just  as  care- 
fully all  overshipments  as  they  did  shortages,  and  I  heard  the  head 
of  the  firm  say  the  reason  for  this  was  that  if  he  led  his  men  to 
think  he  was  dishonest  in  his  dealings  with  the  firms  which  were 
shipping  him  material,  how  could  he  expect  them  to  feel  other- 
wise than  that  he  was  stealing  from  other  people,  why  not  steal 
from  him,  so  if  you  are  unwittingly  undermining  the  confidence  tagious 
your  man  has  established  with  his  trade  and  causing  the  buyer 
to  become  imbued  with  the,  idea  you  are  suspicious  of  your  man 
and  are  not  sure  of  his  ability,  naturally,  the  customer  thinks  you 
should  know  your  own  employee  better  than  he  does,  and  forms 
the  idea  it  would  be  well  to  keep  an  eye  on  him  and  incidentally 
on  the  firm,  as  the  salesman  is  the  exponent  of  the  firm. 

Some  firms  make  the  sad  mistake  of  not  allowing  their  man 
credit  for  orders  received  from  their  territory  by  mail.  This  is 
true  even  of  orders  on  which  the  salesman  has  quoted  the  prices 
attached  to  the  order,  but  which  for  some  reason  he  is  unable  to 
secure  at  the  time  the  quotation  is  made.  I  have  been  asked  by 
retail  dealers  whether  or  not  I  would  receive  credit  should  they 
send  an  order  to  the  general  office  on  my  quotation,  being  in  a 
hurry  for  the  material  and  not  wishing  to  lose  the  time,  after  mak- 
ing their  sale,  which  would  be  required  for  the  order  to  go  to  my 
home  address  and  be  forwarded  on  from  there,  and,  upon  receipt  Withholding 
of  an  affirmative  answer,  would  say  they  would  handle  the  transac- 
tion  that  way,  and  at  the  same  time  remark  that  they  had  dealt 
with  firms  which  would  not  do  this  even  when  they  specifically 
requested  it,  and  they  proceeded  to  comment  on  the  unfairness 
of  it,  and  to  show  their  resentment  of  what  they  termed  "not  a 
square  deal."  Your  man  should  be  credited  with  the  business 
from  his  alloted  territory,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  customers 
write  to  the  general  office  for  prices  and  your  road  man,  apparently, 
had  no  part  in  that  particular  sale.  You  may  have  received  busi- 
ness from  that  customer  before  the  man  who  is  now  working  the 
territory  started  in  for  you,  but  it  doesn't  necessarily  follow  that 


250  SELLINGLUMBER 

you  would  have  continued  to  do  so  had  the  efforts  of  your  sales- 
man not  kept  you  prominently  before  the  purchaser,  and,  no  doubt, 
in  many  instances  you  never  had  the  account  on  your  books  un- 
til the  salesman  established  it  for  you,  yet  you  are  not  willing  to 
allow  him  the  just  fruits  of  his  labors,  thereby  assisting  'in  creat- 
ing the  belief  on  the  part  of  the  buyer  that  your  salesman  is  really 
a  representative  of  your  firm  and  you  are  giving  him  everything 
he  is  entitled  to,  just  as  you  must  to  your  customers  if  you  wish 
to  retain  them  as  such. 

Another  practice  on  the  part  of  some  firms  which  places 
their  men  under  a  handicap,  is  the  permitting  commission  men 
to  carry  your  stock  sheets  and  selling  information,  thereby  creat- 
ing actual  competition  for  your  men  with  your  own  stock.  This 
is  in  nowise  intended  as  an  attempt  to  discredit  the  commission 
salesman,  as  he  is  undoubtedly  a  necessary  adjunct  to  the  market- 
ing of  the  output  of  the  firm  without  an  organized  traveling  force, 
Wate^oifsoth  ^ut  don't  try  to  carry  water  on  both  shoulders  and  "catch  them 
Shoulders"  going  and  coming,"  as  you  are  not  giving  either  your  salaried  man 
or  the  commission  man  a  fair  proposition.  I  know,  personally, 
of  instances  where  a  firm's  salaried  man  has  quoted  on  stock, 
the  dealer  being  unable  to  place  the  order  just  at  that  time,  and 
before  he  could  arrange  to  send  it  to  the  man  who  had  originally 
quoted  him,  one  of  the  commission  men  would  happen  to  come 
along,  and  after  learning  the  situation  would  persuade  the  pur- 
chaser to  let  him  take  the  business,  since  he  was  authorized  to 
sell  the  stock  and  could  protect  the  same  prices  and  thereby  se- 
cure a  commission,  and  that  it  would  make  no  material  difference 
to  the  other  fellow,  as  he  was  paid  a  regular  salary.  You  are, 
When  Sales-  therefore,  paying  a  commission  on  an  order  which  would  have 
men  and  Com-  come  to  you  anyway.  If  your  salaried  man  is  wideawake  there 
Conflict  Cn  are  ^mes  wnen  ne  wiN  see  an  opportunity  to  secure  more  than  the 
absolute  limit  for  a  certain  item,  and  he  figures  accordingly.  The 
other  fellow  quoting  on  your  stock  doesn't  happen  to  think  of 
this  and  goes  to  the  bottom  and  secures  the  business  at  prices 
which  are  acceptable  to  you,  but  at  the  same  time  make  it  appear 
that  your  salaried  representative  is  trying  to  overcharge  the  cus- 
tomer or  has  made  a  mistake  in  his  prices,  either  of  which  is  not 
conducive  of  strengthening  the  customer's  confidence  in  him. 

A  salesman  should  be  very  careful  as  to  promises  he  makes 
regarding  time  of  shipment,  etc.,  but  when  he  has  once  committed 
himself  and  has  transmitted  to  the  general  office  the  sum  and  sub- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


251 


stance  of  what  he  has  told  customers,  every  reasonable  effort  should 
be  put  forth  to  see  that  this  is  scrupulously  complied  with.  If 
your  man  is  possessed  of  a  reasonable  degree  of  intelligence,  he 
will  not  intentionally  promise  something  out  of  reason.  We  all 
make  mistakes,  and  your  salesman  is  no  exception.  When  that 
occurs  don't  write  a  letter  to  his  customer  and  say  "our  Mr.  Brown 
made  a  mistake  of  25c  per  thousand  on  the  item  of  1x4-16  B  and 
Btr  E  G  Fig.  etc."  If  it  is  of  no  material  consequence,  enter  the 
order  and  write  your  man  and  call  his  attention  to  the  discrepancy 
and  ask  him  to  guard  against  a  repetition.  If  it  is  of  sufficient  mag- 
nitude that  you  feel  you  can't  handle  the  order  without  a  revision, 
advise  your  salesman  and  let  him  communicate  with  the  customer. 
They  are  personally  acquainted  and  your  representative  knows 
how  to  handle  the  transaction  so  as  to  save  the  order  and  leave 
the  customer  in  a  pleasant  mood.  Since  I  started  working  on 
this  paragraph  an  incident  ocurred  which  illustrates  the  idea.  I 
sold  a  man  a  carload  of  two  items  from  a  surplus  stock  sheet. 
The  office  wired  me  that  one  item,  or  over  half  the  car,  had  been 
previously  disposed  of.  I  called  up  my  man  and  explained  the 
circumstances  and  persuaded  him  to  increase  the  minor  item  to 
make  a  full  carload.  It  is  good  policy  to  allow  your  representa- 
tive to  meet  his  customers  half  way  on  any  reasonable  proposition. 
I  have  heard  of  instances  where  a  firm  would  assume  an  arbitrary 
attitude,  where  the  amount  involved  would  not  equal  half  a  day's 
expenses  of  their  road  man,  and  offend  the  customer,  and  in  the 
long  run  spend  ten  or  twenty  times  the  total  figures  which  caused 
the  rupture  in  business  relations  in  an  effort  to  regain  the  patron- 
age thus  lost. 

When  you  receive  an  inquiry  for  prices,  if  the  quotation  can 
be  made  by  your  salesman  and  not  lose  more  than  one  day's  time, 
it  is  a  good  idea  to  refer  customer's  letter  to  him  unless  the  insist- 
ency of  the  occasion  suggests  quoting  directly  and  sending  sales- 
man a  copy.  If  you  take  the  matter  up  through  your  road  man 
he  can  handle  that  particular  transaction  more  effectively  than  you 
could,  and  the  retailer  is  once  more  impressed^  with  the  fact  that 
you  really  have  a  representative  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name.  It  is 
well  for  the  salesman  to  have  a  permanent  address  and  to  see  to 
it  that  his  customers  are  informed  of  this  so  they  will  be  writing 
to  him  for  prices,  etc.,  and  to  arrange  to  have  these  communica- 
tions forwarded  to  him  out  on  his  territory  with  all  possible  dis- 
patch. 


Backing  Up 
the  Promises 
Salesmen 
Make 


An  Instance 
in  Point 


Letting 
Salesmen 
Answer  Price 
Inquiries 


252 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Helping  Sus- 
tain the  Cus- 
tomer's Con- 
fidence 


As  to  Holding 
Up  Orders 


It  sometimes  happens  that  a  buyer  places  an  order  with  a 
salesman  who  he  personally  dislikes,  but  the  high  character  of  the 
firm  overcomes  this  feeling.  This  is  the  very  rarest  of  occurrences, 
however,  but  it  is  quite  often  true  that  an  order  reaches  a  firm 
simply  because  the  purchaser  has  a  friendly  feeling  for  the  man 
who  is  soliciting  the  order  and  has  found  him  to  be  honest  and 
truthful  and  knows  his  promises  are  sincere,  and  relying  on  the 
integrity  of  the  firm,,  as  judged  by  its  personal  spokesman,  he 
entrusts  the  order  to  him,  and  all  the  efforts  you  can  put  back  of 
your  man  in  sustaining  this  confidence  is  an  investment  which  will 
pay  compound  interest. 

Don't  hold  the  order  up  for  an  unreasonable  length  of  time 
or  ship  inferior  stock,  and  then  wonder  why  a  larger  order  is  not 
forthcoming  on  your  salesman's  next  trip.  There  are  other  firms 
which  are  shipping  good  lumber  and  their  salesman  is  perhaps 
just  as  capable  as  yours  and  they  will  get  the  preference  next 
time  if  you  have  disappointed  customer  in  time  of  shipment  or 
quality.  When  customers  write  you,  urging  prompt  shipment,  don't 
ignore  their  letters.  Answer  them  as  quickly  as  possible  and  give 
all  the  information  you  can  without  committing  yourselves  to  ship- 
ment within  a  certain  time  which  you  are  unable  to  accomplish. 
As  a  general  thing  nowadays,  lumber  is  bought  for  immediate 
needs,  and  it  is  not  strange  the  buyer  becomes  nervous  when  his 
order  has  been  out  quite  awhile.  He  is  entirely  out,  has  some  of 
it  sold,  and  not  even  an  invoice.  You  can  render  no  greater  co- 
operation in  retaining  trade,  after  once  established,  than  by  being 
prompt  in  executing  orders  and  shipping  stock  of  satisfactory 
quality. 

Co-operation  and  confidence  should  be  synonymous.  Not  con- 
fidence of  the  "gold  brick"  or  "shell  game"  variety,  but  "team  work" 
consisting  of  a  thorough  understanding  between  you  and  your  rep- 
resentative and  the  salesman  and  his  customers. 


SELL*  ING     LUMBER  253 

Reaching  the  Consumer 

By  Hugh  McVey 

Business  Manager,  "Successful  Farming" 
Des  Moines,  la. 

Advertising  is  a  subject  that  is  treated  in  a  good  many  dif- 
ferent ways.  You  might  ask  ten  speakers  to  talk  on  the  sub- 
ject of  advertising  here  this  morning  and  they  would  not  re- 
peat on  each  other.  It  reminds  me  of  the  story  of  two  maid- 
ens— two  women  about  forty  years  old.  One  of  them  had 
been  married  and  was  being  married  again  quite  successfully. 
The  other  lady  had  never  been  married,  and  she  went  to  her 
friend  and  said,  "How  is  it,  Mary,  that  you  have  had  your  second 
chance  to  be  married  and  I  haven't  had  any?"  "Well,"  she  said, 
"it  is  sort  of  this  way:  It  is  not  in  the  form,  or  in  the  hang  of 
the  dress,  but  it  is  by  the  'come-hither'  of  the  eye  that  we  women  p°m^. 
get  the  men."  (Laughter.)  That  pretty  nearly  covers  every-  of  Advertising 
thing.  The  reaching  out  through  the  copy,  and  the  billboard 
and  the  circular  is  the  way  to  get  hold  of  the  consumer,  and  it  is 
very,  very  hard  to  define.  I  want  to  review  advertising  a  little 
bit  for  you;  you  know  we  all  say  it  pays  to  advertise.  Some 
years  ago  that  is  about  all  any  of  us  knew  about  it,  and  I  don't 
know  that  we  know  much  more  yet;  but  advertising  has  followed 
a  very  definite  evolution.  We  have  gone  through  the  bulk  circu- 
lation idea — that  is,  if  a  man  got  his  ad  to  enough  people  and  got 
in  a  big  enough  medium  he  would  win.  We  got  over  to  the 
question  of  copy.  One  man  alone  is  supposed  to  draw  fifty 
thousand  dollars  a  year  for  writing  copy.  And  then  we  got  to 
the  place  where  we  found  that  copy  didn't  put  the  sale  across. 
And  then  we  went  to  the  consumer  with  the  anti-substitution 
campaign.  You  remember  that  the  magazines  several  years  ago 
made  a  great  mistake.  You  would  never  recognize  it  as  a  mis- 
take, but  it  was  a  mistake  to  go  to  the  consumer  and  tell  the  con- 
sumer that  the  dealer  had  no  right  to  substitute.  That  was  wav- 
ing a  red  flag  in  the  face  of  the  dealer.  Now,  the  dealer  can 
substitute,  nine  times  out  of  ten,  especially  in  a  small  town  where 
he  knows  his  trade ;  and  we  didn't  get  anywhere  with  that  idea. 
And  then  we  came  along  with  this  "true"  business,  and  we  got 


254 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Advertising 
Is  Service 


How  Adver- 
tising Helps 
Make  Sales 


to  cleaning  up  our  copy,  and  we  threw  a  lot  of  the  fake  stuff  out 
and  put  laws  in  every  state  of  the  Union  almost — thirty-seven 
states;  and  we  tried  to  clean  up  the  copy.  But  after  all  we  get 
down  to  the  one  point  that  advertising  is  service,  and  to  get  the 
big  game  in  advertising  is  to  make  the  dealers  see  what  adver- 
tising means  to  him;  to  get  him  to  couple  up  with  us,  and  to  get 
him  over  the  idea  that  advertising  is  going  to  rush  a  lot  of  sales 
into  him,  because  advertising  alone  can't  do  that.  Let  me  illus- 
trate what  I  mean,  by  a  clothing  sale.  I  am  a  farmer  up  near 
Shafton,  Iowa.  I  walk  into  the  clothing  store.  I  meet  Mr.  Lar- 
rimore, the  proprietor  of  the  store.  I  say,  "'Mr.  Larrimore,  I 
want  to  buy  a  suit  of  clothes."  He  says,  "All  right.  I  think 
here  is  a  garment  that  you  will  like.  Notice  the  hang  of 
it.  The  fabric  is  good.  I  can  recommend  it.  The  buttonholes  are 
all  worked  nicely.  It  fits  you  well,  and  it  is  a  very  good  garment." 
Mr.  Larrimore  exercises  his  salesmanship  on  me,  and  at  last  says, 
"That  is  Hart,  Schaffner  &  Marx  goods.  They  are  the  greatest 
dealers  in  the  world."  That  is  what  he  did.  He  coupled  up  a 
valuable  asset — the  advertising  that  Hart,  Schaffner  &  Marx  have 
made  in  that  line.  Another  story :  Up  at  Hampton,  Iowa,  an 
automobile  dealer  learned  that  a  farmer  out  in  the  country  was 
very  likely  to  buy  a  car.  He  called  on  the  prospect  and  asked 
for  a  demonstration.  The  dealer  said,  "I  would  like  to  show  you 
my  car."  The  farmer  said,  "I  have  practically  decided  to  buy." 
He  said,  "I  would  like  to  show  you,  anyway."  So  he  started  the 
demonstration  and  was  careful  not  to  say  anything  to  the  farmer 
.that  was  not  contained  in  the  advertising  of  the  Hudson  Automo- 
bile Company.  Now,  he  just  banked  on  the  fact  that  that  fel- 
low had  been  reading  the  advertising  of  the  Hudson  company,  so 
instead  of  diverting  his  mind,  he  caused  the  same  impression  of 
ideas  that  the  advertising  had  been  reaching  him  on.  After  he 
made  the  demonstration,  he  went  back  to  his  office.  The  other 
dealer  rushed  out  and  attempted  to  close  the  sale.  They  got  into 
a  little  argument  over  something  that  the  Hudson  dealer  had  said. 
The  farmer  said,  "I  believe  that  is  so.  I  believe  what  the  Hudson 
man  said  to  me  is  so,  and  I  think  that  is  what  I  read  in  the  paper 
the  other  day,"  and  he  went  and  got  his  farm  paper  and  showed 
the  other  dealer,  and  said,  "There  it  is."  Now,  you  follow  ex- 
actly the  same  line  of  your  advertising.  Keep  reminding  them 
that  there  is  an  asset  out  in  their  territory  that  has  already  been 


SELLINGLUMBER  255 

built.  Now,  you  get  your  friends  the  dealers  to  reach  out  and 
meet  your  firm  half  way.  Advertising  can't  do  everything.  They 
must  meet  you  half  way.  Just  tell  your  retailers  about  it  on  your 
next  trip  around,  and  I  will  pay  you  fifty  dollars  if  it  don't  work. 
(Applause.) 


Selling  Cost,  Direct  and  In- 
direct 

By  W.  M.  Beebe 

Manager,  Yellow  Pine  Department 

Long-Bell  Lumber  Company 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

First,  we  must  consider  some  of  the  methods  of  selling  and 
their  cost.  The  use  of  traveling  salesmen  is  as  old  an  institution 
as  the  manufacturers  themselves,  and,  aside  from  the  directing  head 
located  at  the  central  office,,  are  the  most  important  factor  in  the 
distribution  of  lumber  products.  The  buyer  of  lumber  does  not, 
as  does  the  buyer  of  clothing,  millinery  and  similar  goods,  make 
frequent  trips  to  central  markets  or  style  centers,  but  waits  for  the 
representative  of  some  concern  with  lumber  to  sell  to  call  on  him, 
and  I  think  it  is  safe  to  say  that  95  per  cent  of  the  lumber  bought 
is  bought  of  the  traveling  salesman,  or  because  of  his  efforts.  There  Importance 
are  very  few  examples  of  success  where  manufacturers  manage  to  of  Traveling 
sell  their  product  through  the  mail  by  lists,  but  I  think  you  can 
count  on  the  fingers  of  one  hand  those  who  have  been  successful 
in  this  method.  I  think  a  close  analysis  of  the  prices  they  received 
would,  in  nearly  every  case,  disclose  the  fact  that  selling  through 
salesmen  would  have  been  much  more  profitable,  from  the  stand- 
point of  net  results.  Especially  would  this  be  true  where  the  con- 
cern so  operating  did  not  have  access  to  knowledge  of  the  market 
obtained  from  concerns  that  sold  through  salesmen. 

The  lumber  buyer  usually  places  his  order  where  he  can  get 
the  best  service  and  the  best  goods,  at  the  lowest  prices,  but  when 
many  competitors  have  the  same  price,  quality  and  terms,,  the 
personality  of  the  salesman  is  usually  the  determining  factor  in 
the  placing  of  the  order.  While  I  have  heard  manufacturers  who 


256  SELLINGLUMBER 

did  not  sell  through  salesmen,  point  with  pride  to  their  selling  cost, 
I  have  not  heard  many  of  the  same  manufacturers  point  with  the 
same  pride  to  any  high  average  price  received  for  their  product 
over  a  period  of  months.  It  would  be  easy  enough  to  sell  two 
hundred  million  feet  of  lumber  through  lists  and  one  or  two 
salesmen,  at  a  selling  cost  of  perhaps  10  cents  per  thousand,  but 
the  manufacturer  who  pursues  this  plan  would  probably  have  to 
take  $1.00  per  thousand  less  average  price  for  his  product  than 
^oes  ^e  manu^acturer  wno  se^s  it  through  a  well  organized  sales 
in  Making  force,  at  a  cost  of  say  16  cents  per  thousand  for  salesmen's 
ales  salaries,  and  about  12  cents  per  thousand  for  traveling  expenses, 

or  a  total  of  28  or  29  cents  per  thousand  for  salaries  and  sales- 
men's expenses,  which  I  have  found  by  investigation,  to  be  about 
the  average  cost  of  many  of  the  larger  manufacturers  that  sell  their 
product  through  salesmen.  This  cost,  of  course,  does  not  contem- 
plate administration,  officers'  salaries,  office  traveling  expense,  rent, 
telephone,  telegraph,  postage,  stationery  or  advertising  expenses. 
These  will  be  considered  later. 

Let  us  consider  a  few  items  of  expense  as  applied  to  sales- 
men alone.  We  are  all  salesmen,  but  some  of  us  are  forced  to 
look  at  expense  accounts  in  a  little  different  light  than  we  once 
did.  We  should  analyze  expense  accounts  in  the  same  way  as  we 
do  efficiency  in  manufacture,  and  we  should  not  economize  to 
the  extent  in  either  so  as  to  affect  our  efficiency.  Economy  is 
one  thing  that  a  salesman  should  keep  in  mind  in  making  ex- 
penditures for  his  company,  and  I  mean,  economy  in  time  as 
well  as  money.  The  average  salesman  does  not  give  enough  con- 
sideration to  these  matters,  and  it  is  my  observation  that  the  most 
The  Items  successful  salesman  is  the  one  who  does  give  it  the  greatest  con- 
ExpenseS  sideration.  We  all  have  spent  too  much  time  with  some  good 
fellow  who  doesn't  give  us  business,  or  who  lives  in  a  town  that 
has  a  good  hotel,  and  wasted  much  of  the  company's  time  and 
.  money  on  towns  that  could  be  eliminated  from  the  salesman's 
route  sheet  with  profit  to  himself  and  his  company.  I  will  make 
a  guess  that  nearly  all  of  us  have  in  mind  such  a  buyer  at  this 
moment,  also,  that  you  can  all  think  of  some  dealer  that  you  should 
see  more  often,  but  because  of  not  being  accessible,  or  because  a  call 
means  arriving  or  leaving  his  town  at  an  hour  when  you  prefer 
to  be  sleeping,  you  leave  him  to  some  other  salesman  who  is  a 
little  less  choice  of  his  comfort,  and  who  perhaps  is  rapidly  be- 
coming your  greatest  competitor  in  your  territory.  Think  it  over. 


SELLINGLUMBER  257 

You  nearly  all  know  the  dealer  I  mean,  and  he  is  a  different  one  to 
each  of  us. 

Let  us  consider  the  hotel  expense.  In  the  small  towns  there  is 
no  choice,  but  in  the  larger  towns  there  are  usually  hotels  that 
have  rates  on  the  European  plan,  that  will  charge  $3.00  to  $4.00 
a  day  for  a  room,  while  there  are  others  that  are  good  enough 
to  maintain  your  respectability  and  comfort,  and  the  dignity  of 
your  company,  at  about  one-half  the  cost.  It  is  there  you  will 
find  the  most  successful  salesmen.  Many  salesmen  fall  into  ex- 
travagant habits,  and  indulgences  of  this  kind  are  much  harder 
to  resist  when  a  liberal  expense  account  will  take  care  of  them 
than  if  paid  from  their  own  pocket.  I  will  venture  to  say  that  if 
you  will  investigate  a  little,  you  will  find  the  higher  priced,  fash- 
ionable hotels  are  filled  with  salesmen  who  have  their  expenses 
paid  by  their  firm,  and  the  other  hotels  mentioned  are  full  ot 
the  men  who  are  paying  their  own  expenses,  and  in  other  lines 
you  know  that  the  man  on  the  percentage  basis  is  the  one  that  is 
making  big  money. 

There  are  other  items  of  direct  selling  expense  the  salesman 
can  cut  down  very  materially  if  he  watches  closely,  such  as  trans- 
portation, taxicabs,  telephone  and  telegraph.  We  will  pass  these, 
although  considerable  might  be  said  about  long  jumps  to  good 
hotels,  and  sending  wires  or  telephoning,  where  a  2-cent  stamp 
and  some  of  the  hotel  stationery  would  have  answered  the  pur- 
pose a  great  deal  better,  at  one  thirtieth  or  one  hundredth  part 
of  the  expense,  had  it  been  thought  of  before  the  train  left  earlier 
in  the  day  or  evening.  And  a  little  exercise  in  walking  a  few  Economy 
blocks  to  the  station  or  a  customer,  might  give  one  a  better  ap- 
petite for  some  of  the  poor  meals  that  he  often  is  forced  to  eat  while 
on  the  road,  or  to  pass  the  time  that  he  otherwise  might  have  spent 
waiting  around  the  hotel  lobby  for  the  dining  room  to  be  open. 
By  taking  this  exercise  it  would  not  be  so  necessary  to  get  to  head- 
quarters on  Friday  night  so  as  to  take  exercise  on  the  golf  links, 
tennis  court  or  baseball  field  on  Saturday. 

The  incidental  column  in  the  expense  account  is  one  direct 
expense  that  I  will  venture  to  say  is  watched  as  closely  as  any 
other  by  everyone  who  has  to  O.  K.  expense  accounts,  or  those 
who  only  see  it  in  the  monthly  statement. 

There  is  nothing  which  I  presume  would  bring  out  more  argu- 
ment among  salesmen  as  to  actual  results  obtained  in  entertaining 
customers  or  doing  them  favors  with  the  company's  money,  for 


258  SELLINGLUMBER 


the  sake  of  present  or  future  results  in  securing  orders.  Some 
are  too  conservative,  and  some  lean  to  the  other  extreme.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  be  extravagant  to  get  good  results,  and  the  secret  is 
to  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time.  The  salesman  who  is  not 
extravagant  in  his  own  personal  habits  does  not  find  it  necessary 
to  be  extravagant  with  his  customers,  and  he  doesn't  find  it  neces- 
sary to  live  up  to  established  precedents  in  the  way  of  expensive 

The  Item  of    dinners,  lunches  or  cigars.     Once  you  have  established  this  habit, 
Entertaining    .    .  .  •  .  J 

it  is  sometimes  embarrassing  to  break  away  irom.     1  hese  expenses 

amount  to  but  little  with  each  individual  customer,  but  in  the  ag- 
gregate they  amount  to  a  considerable  sum  in  the  course  of  a  year. 
You  should  figure  out  to  see  if  you  get  an  adequate  return 
on  these  expenditures.  We  should  always  remember  that  spending 
the  company's  expense  money  is  simply  putting  our  hand  in  the 
cash  drawer,  and,  as  business  men,  we  should  consider  it  from 
an  investment  standpoint. 

I  would  like  to  add,  also,  that  spending  time  while  on  the  pay 
roll,  in  pursuits  other  than  pursuing  an  order,  or  attending  to  the 
company's  business,  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  putting  one's 
hand -in  the  cash  drawer.  We  all  have  known  of  salesmen  who. 
under  one  pretext  or  another,  rarely  get  away  from  headquarters 
until  Tuesday  morning,  and  many  others  who  always  make  it  a 
point  to  be  back  at  headquarters  by  Friday  night,  but  you  have 
Wasting  the  never  known  any  such  salesmen  that  are  recognized  as  the  high- 
Time  salaried,  successful  salesmen.  A  salesman  who  will  take  the 
company's  time  and  accept  a  salary  for  it  for  one  or  two  days  a 
week  that  he  does  not  work  and  devote  his  time  to  the  company's 
interest,  is  pursuing  a  plan  that  he  would  not  do  if  he  was  under 
the  watchful  eye  of  the  general  office,  and  the  chances  for  his 
promotion  are  far  less  than  those  of  the  man  who  possibly  is  less 
gifted  or  brilliant  as  a  salesman,  but  who  by  calling  on  a  larger 
number  of  buyers  increases  his  chances  greatly  for  securing  busi- 
ness. 

How  many  times  have  you  all  known  of  salesmen  attending 

conventions,  who,  instead  of  spending  their  time  with  a  customer 

Congenial       wno   might:  have   appreciated   entertainment,    would   pick   out   one 

Companions    or  two  congenial  souls  that  were  probably  competitors,  and  spend 

Customers.      most  of  the  week  in  each  other's  company,  while  the  customers 

that  they   should   have  been   entertaining  were  almost  unnoticed? 

This  is  a  form  of  indirect  selling  expense  that  probably  costs  their 

employers  a  great  amount  of  money  in  the  aggregate. 


SELLINGLUMBER  259 


There  is  not  a  great  amount  of  itemized  statistical  informa- 
tion that  I  have  been  able  to  secure  regarding  the  cost  of  selling 
lumber,  that  is,  covering  a  large  number  of  operations.  I  have, 
however,  itemized  statements  of  selling  cost  from  nine  of  the  large 
concerns.  As  I  have  stated,  the  average  cost  per  thousand  feet 
of  these  concerns,  in  salaries,  is  about  16  cents,  and  the  average 
traveling  expenses  of  these  salesmen  is  another  average  of  12 
cents  per  thousand  feet,  or  a  total  of  28  cents.  The  average  selling  ^v|"g®  Cost 
cost,  including  administrative,  office  salaries,  office  traveling,  sales-  Lumber. 
men's  salaries,  salesmen's  traveling,  rent,  telephone,  telegraph,  com- 
missions, postage,  stationery  supplies,  advertising,  and  miscellaneous 
charges,  ran  on  an  average  of  56  cents  per  thousand  for  the  year 
1915.  This  covering  nine  of  the  larger  manufacturing  concerns 
in  the  yellow  pine  business,  all  of  whom  sell  their  stock  through 
salaried  salesmen.  The  average  for  each  item  separate  is  as  fol- 
lows : 

Administrative.  .  .  .  ...................  $0.0252 

Office  salaries   ........................  1244 

Office  traveling  .......................  0169 

Salesmen's  salaries  ....................  1597 

Salesmen's  traveling  ...................  1169 

Rent  ................................  0157 

Telephone  and  telegraph  ................  0185 

Commissions  ........................  -  .0897 

Postage  ..............................  0103 

Stationery  supplies  ....................  0131 

Advertising  ...........................  0192 

Miscellaneous  .........................  0228 

The  comparative  cost  sheet  gotten  out  by  the  Southern  Pine 
Association  includes  sixty-nine  manufacturers,  and  the  average 
selling  cost  to  date,  the  first  four  months  of  this  year,  has  been 
68  cents  per  thousand.  This  includes,  I  believe,  between  35  per  cent 
and  40  per  cent  of  the  entire  membership  of  the  Association,  and 
probably  represents  about  the  average  selling  expense  of  the  yellow 
pine  industry. 

I  mention  the  comparison  of  the  ten  concerns  as  against  the 
larger  number,  to  show  that  there  is  a  variance  between  the  very 
highest  efficiency  and  the  average  of  a  larger  number  of  concerns 
of  about  12  cents  per  thousand  in  selling  cost,  which  would  indicate 
that  greater  efficiency  in  selling  lumber  can  be  maintained  than  is 
now  true. 


260  SELLINGLUMBER 

The  highest  selling  expense  of  any  concern  reporting  was 
$1.36  per  thousand,  for  the  first  four  months  of  this  year,  while  the 
lowest  selling  expense  for  the  same  period  was  $0.112,  and  I  be- 
lieve it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  average  price  received  by  the  concern 
that  had  the  $1.36  average  cost  to  sell  as  against  the  concern  who 
sold  for  11  cents  would  easily  be  enough  higher  to  make  up  the 
High  and  extra  cost  to  sell.  For  I  believe,  taken  as  a  general  proposition, 
Low  Selling  that  the  salesman  or  office  that  secures  the  larger  volume  of  busi- 
ness at  a  very  low  selling  expense,  does  so  at  the  expense  of  the 
price  per  thousand  received,  as  low  prices  mean  large  volume, 
which  means  a  low  selling  expense,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
concerns  that  incurred  the  greatest  amount  of  expense  in  selling 
are  usually  the  concerns  that  secure  the  highest  price  for  their 
product. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  arrive  at  any  conclusion  as  to  what 
should  be  an  average  selling  cost  as  far  as  a  salesman  is  con- 
cerned, and  we  should  not  attempt  to  judge  a  salesman  in  any  way 
by  his  selling  cost,  unless  taken  over  a  period  of  months  or  years, 
for  the  reason  that  conditions  in  a  territory  are  subject  to  such 
sudden  changes.  The  manufacturers'  selling  cost  is  not  a  true 
indication,  in  any  sense,  as  to  the  best  net  results  obtained,  except 
where  a  concern  has  an  extremely  high  selling  expense,  it  might 
indicate  lack  of  efficiency,  and  where  it  is  extremely  low,  it  would 
D'ff  It  t  mdicate,  m  nearly  all  cases,  that  they  had  sacrificed  their  price  so 
Fix  a  Fair  as  to  keep  down  the  selling  expense.  It  costs  much  more  to  sell 
Average.  lumber  in  one  or  two  carloads  at  a  time  through  a  salesman  to 
the  average  small  buyer,  and  receive  probably  a  $19,00  average,  at 
a  selling  cost  of  75  cents  per  thousand  than  it  does  for  one  man 
to  sell  a  large  buyer  by  meeting  his  idea  of  the  market,  anywhere 
from  five  to  ten  times  as  much  lumber  as  the  salesman  could  sell 
to  the  smaller  dealer,  at  an  average  price  of  $18.00  per  thousand, 
with  a  selling  cost  of  perhaps  11  cents.  As  far  as  net  results 
and  beneficial  effect  it  would  have  on  general  market  conditions, 
I  believe  there  is  no  argument  as  between  the  two  methods. 

As  salesmen,  the  cost  of  selling  lumber,  both  direct  and  in- 
direct, lies  in  our  hands,  to  a  very  large  extent.     Loyalty  to  our 
The  Salesman   ^rm>  with  the  conservation  of  the  expense  money  placed  in  our 

Can  Regulate    hands,  and  with  the  time  that  we  devote  to  the  business  that  we 
Selling  Cost.  .   .  e  ,  „. 

are  receiving  a  salary  for,  are  very  potent  factors  in  the  selling 

cost  of  lumber.    Especially  at  times  like  those  we  have  been  going 


SELLING     LUMBER 


261 


through  during  the  past  few  years,  the  selling  cost  has  been  large, 
as  compared  with  the  general  profits  of  the  business.  It  is  a  sad 
fact  that  the  selling  cost  is  usually  the  very  highest  at  the  time 
when  the  market  is  the  lowest,  and  when  our  employers  are  least 
able  to  stand  the  expense.  Let  us  at  all  times  remember  that  our 
efficiency  means  keeping  the  selling  cost  down  as  much  as  is  con- 
sistent with  the  securing  of  the  highest  price  for  the  product  we 
have  to  sell. 

The  average  cost  of  all  shipments  for  the  first  four  months 
of  this  year  for  sixty-nine  mills  reporting  to  the  Southern  Pine 
Association,  shipping  943,029,970  feet  was  $14.50  per  thousand  and 
the  selling  expense  amounted  to  68.3  cents,  or  .046  per  cent  of  the 
whole.  If  the  selling  expense  of  the  sixty-nine  mills  reporting 
to  the  Association  that  now  have  this  average  selling  expense 
for  the  first  four  months  of  68.3  cents  had  been  reduced  to  the 
average  of  the  nine  mills  that  I  am  familiar  with,  to  56  cents  per 
thousand  it  would  mean  a  saving  of  12.3  cents  per  thousand.  These 
nine  concerns  I  have  reason  to  believe  received  at  least  an  average 
price  for  their  product  that  would  be  fully  up  to  or  above  the 
average  price  received  by  the  entire  sixty-nine  concerns  reporting. 
This  would  mean  a  total  saving  to  the  35  per  cent  of  the  Association 
that  are  now  reporting  costs  to  the  Association  of  $115,992.68,  or 
on  this  same  basis  of  about  one-third  of  one  million  dollars  to  the 
manufacturers  that  are  now  members  of  the  Southern  Pine  Associa- 
tion. 

Summing  up  the  situation,  the  salesman  who  keeps  ever  a 
watchful  eye  on  his  expense  account  and  uses  his  maximum  energies 
in  the  service  of  his  employer,  even  though  he  may  not  be  as  bright 
as  others,  is  the  one  who  will  be  promoted  while  the  one  possessing 
a  brilliant  mind  failing  to  watch  his  expense  account  and  serves 
less  loyally  his  employer,  will  ever  remain  a  traveling  salesman  or 
serve  in  some  other  position  with  less  reward. 


Relation  of 
Cost  of 
Production  to 
Cost  of 
Selling. 


262  SELLING    LUMBER 

How  Salesmen  Can  Co- 
operate with  the  Association 

By  Ben  S.  Woodhead 

President,  Beaumont  Lumber  Company 
Beaumont,  Texas 

I  am  not  here  today  to  explain  or  justify  the  principle  of  co- 
operation, for  the  very  essence  of  that  principle  is  so  well  under- 
stood that  such  a  course  would  take  unnecessary  effort  and  time. 
Co-operation  needs  no  defense  or  explanation ;  and  it  is  a  safe 
assumption  that  you  thoroughly  comprehend  its  principles  and 
value.  The  positions  you  hold  and  your  natural  intelligence  indi- 
cate your  ability  to  participate  in  our  proposed  co-operation,  and 
the  mere  fact  that  you  are  now  here  listening  to  addresses  made 
on  this  and  related  subjects,  conclusively  shows  your  willing- 
ness to  act  your  individual  part  in  this  great  work. 

It  is  no  reflection  on  your  own  qualities  for  it  to  be  deemed 
advisable  to  have  some  suggestions  made,  as  to  how  a  salesman 
.R  may  best  further  the  work  of  the  Association  through  the  means 

Awakening  of  co-operation ;  for,  sad  to  say,  it  is  only  recently  that  the  manu- 
MTnufacturers  ^acturers  an<^  dealers  themselves  have  awakened  to  the  benefits 
to  be  gained  through  working  in  harmony.  Indeed,  I  might  say 
that  it  is  only  within  the  last  two  years  that  really  vigorous,  in- 
telligent and  systematic  work  has  been  undertaken  along  this  line. 

While  the  work  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  is  designed 
primarily  to  benefit  directly  the  manufacturing  end  of  the  yellow 
pine  lumber  business,  it  must  be  constantly  borne  in  mind  that 
this  cannot  be  done  properly  without  giving  due  consideration  to 
the  interests  of  every  factor  in  the  business.  These  factors  in- 
clude the  buyer  of  lumber,  the  user  thereof  and  the  individual 
welfare  of  all  who  are  engaged  in  its  manufacture,  sale  and  use. 
You  can  see,  therefore,  that  our  interest  is  very  broad  and  far- 
reaching;  that  interest  follows  the  manufactured  pine  through  its 
final  use  in  construction,  and  lasts  through  the  long  years  it  is  in 
use,  even  unto  final  chemical  dissolution  into  other  elements. 

The  work  of  trade  associations  is  indorsed  and  approved  to- 
day by  all  clear  thinking  business  men,  and  but  recently  the  Fed- 
eral Trade  Commission  has  spoken  in  admirable  terms  of  the 


SELLING     LUMBER 


263 


work  that  such  organizations  may  accomplish.  Approval  has  not 
been  withheld  by  even  the  President  himself,  for  he,  in  a  recent 
letter  to  the  Hon.  Edward  N.  Hurley  of  the  Federal  Trade  Com- 
mission, stated  that  he  thought  the  encouragement  of  association 
work  by  that  commission  was  a  wise  thing. 

The  best  method  to  promote  association  work  is  to  dissemi- 
nate in  the  quickest  way,  among  the  largest  number  of  interested 
people,  the  greatest  intelligent  comprehension  of  the  principles 
and  benefits  of  co-operation.  The  Southern  Pine  Association  aims 
to  use  every  channel  of  distribution  at  its  command  for  this  express 
purpose.  Heretofore,  strange  to  say,  proper  use  has  not  been 
made  of  what  is  perhaps,  next  to  general  newspaper  and  lumber 
trade  paper  advertising,  the  greatest  asset  which  the  Association 
possesses  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  end.  And  what  live  asset 
is  that?  I  refer  of  course  to  the  services  of  its  thousands  of  trav- 
eling representatives,  who,  when  primed  with  enthusiasm,  loaded 
with  facts  and  trained  to  a  high  degree  of  efficiency,  can  do  more 
with  a  specific  individual,  in  an  intelligent  and  trained  talk  of  thirty 
minutes,  to  further  the  cause  of  co-operation,  and  thus  association 
work,  than  any  other  known  agency.  A  trained  traveling  repre- 
sentative may  be  a  package  of  dynamic  energy.  He  should  also 
aim  to  be  an  electrical  conductor  of  the  stored  knowledge,  or  power 
of  our  Association. 

It  is  a  recognition  of  the  value  of  the  personal  element  in 
negotiating  business  transactions,  which  is  responsible  for  your 
positions.  If  you  could  not  satisfactorily  close  a  specific  trans- 
action better  than  any  kind  of  a  letter  or  telephone  conversation, 
you  would  not  be  holding  today  the  honored  and  honorable  posi- 
tion of  traveling  representative.  You  will  note  here  that  I  make 
use  of  the  phrase  "traveling  representative."  I  like  that  term 
better  than  traveling  salesman.  Today  a  man  who  goes  on  the 
road  for  his  firm  is  not  a  salesman  alone;  he  is,  as  a  rule,  the 
general  representative  of  his  house  in  many  senses.  It  is  a  far 
cry  from  the  days  of  the  "drummer"  of  twenty  years  ago,  to  the 
high-class,  well-bred  gentlemen  who  represents  in  a  dignified  way 
his  firm  on  the  road  today.  Today  the  representative  of  the  firm 
out  on  the  road  handles  in  many  cases  a  multitude  of  affairs. 
While  the  first  object  is,  of  course,  to  secure  orders  at  a  satis- 
factory price,  and  in  accordance  with  the  rules  of  the  house,  yet 
today  that  representative  is  liable  to  be  called  on  to  make  settle- 
ments, adjust  claims,  cure  old  sores  and  heal  new  ones,  assist  the 


The  Salesman 
An  Associa- 
tion Asset 


"Representa- 
tive" As  Well 
As  "Salesman* 


264  SELLING    LUMBER 

dealer  in  buying  and  selling  yards,  help  to  persuade  an  architect, 
and  a  thousand  things  which  requires  an  intellect  of  a  high  order; 
he  is  a  man  of  dignity  and  one  who  is  at  all  times  a  gentleman. 

It  is  a  recognition  on  the  part  of  the  Southern  Pine  Associa- 
tion of  all  these  splendid  qualities  possessed  by  you  gentlemen, 
together  with  the  unexampled  opportunities  you  have,  which  is 
responsible  for  this  call  to  you. 

Now  I  shall  endeavor  to  confine  my  remarks  to  the  topic  of 
how  a  traveling  representative  may  best  promote  the  interests  of 
the  Association.  There  are  so  many  other  papers  to  be  read,  and 
which  have  already  been  read,  on  so  many  subjects  connected  with 
the  general  trade  extension  movement,  that  it  is  difficult  to  pre- 
vent overlapping  into  the  province  of  some  other  speaker.  There 
has  not  been  time  to  prepare  the  addresses  and  compare  them  for 
the  purpose  of  eliminating  any  repetition,  and  therefore,  if  I  should 
through  inadvertance  touch  on  any  phase  which  has  previously 
been  presented  at  these  sessions,  you  will  understand  the  reason 
How  Best  therefore,  and  excuse  me. 

Association  How  may  you  best  help  your  employer  and  the  Association 

as  a  missionary?  This  perhaps  can  be  answered  quickly  by  a  quo- 
tation from  the  Scriptures :  "Be  able  to  give  a  reason  for  the 
faith  that  is  within  you." 

You  will  recall  previous  references  of  mine  to  "trained  rep- 
resentatives." It  is  axiomatic  that  you  cannot  tell  that  which  you 
do  not  know.  That  heretofore  you  may  have  been  ignorant  of 
the  purposes  and  objects  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  is  an 
admissible  and  pardonable  excuse;  that  you  should  be  so  here- 
after admits  of  no  defense,  and  would  belie  my  interpretation  of 
the  words  "trained  representatives." 

The  literature  published  by  this  Association  is  the  encyclo- 
paedia of  the  trade.  Unlike  other,  it  may  be  obtained  free,  merely 
for  the  asking.  Patient  and  studious  perusal  of  these  documents 
will  enable  any  one  of  you  to  become  expert  in,  and  discuss  with 
authority  almost  all  phases  of  association  work.  To  do  missionary 
work  in  this  connection  it  would  seem  to  me,  therefore,  that  the 
first  requisite  is  a  desire  for  the  welfare  of  your  industry,  its 
Association  and  your  employer;  and  naturally  resultant  therefrom, 
of  yourself.  I  cannot  conceive  any  man  lacking  in  this  requisite, 
but  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  such  a  desire  has  been  more 
or  less  dormant.  What  we  want  to  do  is  to  vitalize  that  desire 
to  the  pitch  of  healthy  enthusiasm  ;  for  healthy  enthusiasm,  forti- 


SELLINGLUMBER  265 

fied  with  an  intelligent  grasp  of  facts,  will  surely  fit  you  to  preach 
the  gospel  of  Southern  Pine.  I  am  quite  sure  that  what  you  have 
already  heard  relative  to  the  work  that  is  being  done  by  the  Asso- 
ciation has  already  kindled  that  dormant  desire  into  the  vital  flame 
of  enthusiasm,  so  we  may  now  safely  proceed  to  a  consideration 
of  your  training. 

You  have  all  seen,  doubtless,  that  when  a  politician,  a  mis- 
sionary,  an  industrial  or  commercial  lecturer,  or  any  other  man, 
speaks  on  any  subject  from  the  platform,  he  avails  himself  of  every 
legitimate  gesture,  trick  of  oratory,  fact  and  figure  to  support  his 
proposition.     Let  it  be  so  with  you.     If  you  will  thoroughly  famil-   Ammunition  in 
iarize  yourself  with  the  wealth  of  literature  issued  by  the  Associa-    Literature" 
tion,  and  then  acquaint  yourselves  with  the  efforts  that  the  Asso- 
ciation itself  is  putting  forth  through  many  other  and  varied  chan- 
nels, you  will  soon  be  well  equipped  to  storm  the  trenches  of  ignor- 
ance with  the  42-centimeter  shells  of  fact  and  knowledge. 

I  dwell  somewhat  on  this  point  of  self-culture,  or  training, 
because  it  is  to  my  mind  the  keynote  of  the  whole  proposition.  It 
is  "preparedness"  brought  right  home  to  yourself.  But  training  is 
not  merely  the  miscellaneous  accumulation  of  sundry  facts.  They 
must  be  marshalled  in  your  mind  in  logical  sequence ;  they  must  be 
corelated  to  each  other  and  to  the  subject;  they  must  be  so  well 
understood,  digested  and  analyzed  and  card-indexed, in  your  mind 
that  a  ten-minute  talk  by  you  to  anyone  on  Association  work  should 
immediately  stamp  you  as  a  man  of  parts  and  power.  Thorough 
mastery  of  one  of  these  thoughts  will  soon  enable  you  to  give  the 
dealer  a  talk  like  unto  a  mental  birthday  cake.  And  remember, 
you  can  get  all  the  ammunition  you  want  from  the  Association,  with 
additional  powder  for  your  flask  by  observing  and  using  the  work 
which  it  is  doing.  There  is  no  necessity  to  call  your  attention  in 
detail  to  what  is  being  done,  as  by  this  time  you  have  doubtless 
assimilated  this  in  very  large  part,  but  perhaps  a  brief  reference  to 
some  of  the  more  important  phases  will  not  prove  tedious. 

I  want  to  call  pointed  attention  to  the  greatest  help  you  will 
find,   and  that   is,  to   the   advertising  which   the  Association   and 
your  various  employers  are  doing  generally,  and  the  lumber  trade    Advertising 
papers.     That  lumber  buyer  who  does  not  illuminate  his  business    Help  for  the 
existence   with  the  light   of   at   least  one   lumber  trade   paper,   is 
poking  about  in  the  dark  of  commercial  stagnation — and  affording 
you  an  opportunity  of  getting  a  good  price.     But  most  of  your 
customers  probably  take  one  or  more  of  these  papers.     I  can  cer- 


266 


SELLING     LUMBER 


A  Carefully 

Planned 

Campaign 


Salesmen 
Should  Read 
Write  and 
Talk 


tainly  say  that  they  will  be  of  great  help  to  you  in  your  work.  They 
have  always  loyally  supported  the  principle  of  co-operation,  and 
nearly  every  issue  contains  some  article  on  trade  extension  worth 
studying  yourself,  and,  after  being  mastered,  worthy  of  discussion 
with  your  customers. 

The  advertising  campaign  of  the  Association  has  been  given 
more  keen  thought  than  perhaps  any  other  feature  of  the  work,  and 
perhaps  more  has  been  spent  on  it  than  on  any  other  department. 
Our  advertisements  have  been  placed  in  the  trade  papers,  not  only 
the  strict  lumber  trade  papers,  but  the  trade  papers  of  allied  in- 
dustries, farm  papers,  and  at  specific  times  in  the  leading  daily 
papers  in  the  larger  cities.  This  campaign  is  not  conducted  in  any 
haphazard  manner,  but  the  services  of  an  expert  advertising  man- 
ager have  been  secured ;  and,  speaking  from  my  own  personal  point 
of  view,  I  must  concede  he  can  dig  up  more  facts  and  figures,  and 
marshal  them  in  more  attractive  logical  sequence  in  regard  to  many 
features  of  our  business,  than  I  thought  was  possible.  It  is  only 
an  illustration  of  the  advantage  of  specialization.  You  will  observe 
that  there  are  four  special  departments  in  this  work;  the  prepara- 
tion of  books  and  pamphlets  and  publicity  literature ;  the  writing 
and  placing  of  display  advertisements  in  farm  journals  and  maga- 
zines ;  the  devising  and  creation  of  all  forms  of  dealer  co-operation, 
in  which  latter  is  included  the  free  furnishing  of  cuts  to  dealers 
for  local  paper  advertising,  and  lastly,  the  dissemination  of  pre- 
pared stories  and  articles  dealing  with  the  utility  of  yellow  pine. 
These  booklets  are  particularly  interesting,  and  very  informative. 
They  are  being  prepared  on  every  phase  of  the  yellow  pine  lumber 
industry ;  you  may  soon  therefore  obtain  a  most  complete  encyclope- 
dia, embracing  the  treatment  of  all  features  of  trade  extension  work 
as  applies  to  yellow  pine.  Don't  shut  the  mill  down;  increase  the 
demand. 

Read  the  lumber  encyclopedia,  brethren ;  for  by  reading  these 
works  you  become  a  full  man;  write  letters  and  articles  on  these 
subjects,  for  thereby  you  become  an  exact  man;  and  after  having 
read,  digested  and  written,  you  are  then  ready  to  talk  on  these 
matters,  and  much  continued,  intelligent  talking,  maketh  a  ready 
man. 

The  Association  is  doing  other  sorts  of  advertising,  too.  It 
has  trained  engineers  who  can  talk  wood  block  paving  in  a  technical 
sense.  And  say,  do  you  ever  notice  whether  the  streets  upon  which 
you  walk  are  paved  with  wood  block,  or  with  other  materials  ?  Do 


SELLINGLUMBER  267 

you  ever  notice  paving  advertisements  in  the  local  papers,  or  absorb 
advance  information  in  regard  to  proposed  paving?  If  you  do,  why 
not  pave  the  way  for  wood  block  by  talking  about  it?  Advise  your 
firm  of  it.  Write  to  the  Association  direct  at  New  Orleans,  giving 
them  all  obtainable  facts. 

Wood  block  paving  and  wooden  silo  material  is  the  hope  of 
the  lumber  manufacturers,  to  take  the  place  of  the  large  sawed 
railway  tie  business  which  has  now  practically  disappeared.  The 
possibilities  of  these  two  articles  for  the  consumption  of  yellow 
pine  are  staggering  in  their  immensity. 

And  here  is  another  thing.  Do  you  know  that  it  is  to  the 
traveling  representative  that  we  have  to  look,  almost  exclusively, 
for  the  introduction  of  short  lengths  into  various  channels?  You 
can  add  wonderfully  to  your  earning  power  by  learning  how  to 
show  a  dealer  where  he  can  use  these  advantageously.  Still  another 
effective  method  of  promoting  the  trade  extension  work,  which  can 
be  very  profitably  pursued,  is  to  examine  carefully  into  the  possi-  sion  Work  for 
bilities  in  each  town  you  visit,  for  the  further  use  of  yellow  pine.  Salesmen 
There  is  scarcely  a  factory  that  does  not  use  wood  for  some  pur- 
pose, be  it  only  for  crating.  The  strength  of  yellow  pine  might 
appeal  to  them,  if  they  are  not  already  using  it.  The  local  traction 
companies  frequently  buy  sawed  ties  and  repair  lumber  direct  from 
the  mills.  Be  inquisitive;  digest  the  information.  Load  up!  Be- 
cause you  cannot  unload  a  wagon  until  it  has  first  been  loaded. 

There  is  many  a  buyer  of  yellow  pine  who  buys,  grades,  uses 
and  handles  it  through  every  phase  of  the  transaction,  without  ever 
being  really  aware  of  what  he  owes  to  co-operative  work  of  the 
manufacturers  in  producing  the  rules,  regulations  and  customs 
under  and  by  which  he  does  business.  Who  made  the  grading 
rules?  Some  dealers  and  buyers  don't  know.  Some  tell  you  that 
the  manufacturers  did — bad  luck  to  'em — which  is  the  reason  they 
are  so  unsatisfactory.  If  you  are  well  informed  you  may  now 
retort  courteously  that  the  dealers  and  the  manufacturers  will 
hereafter  make  the  rules.  Find  out  how  this  is  being  done,  and 
tell  them. 

Do  your  friends  among  the  dealers  and  buyers  know  that  they 
may  have  the  use  of  the  inspection  department  for  their  own 
needs,  in  case  of  disputes  with  architects  and  inspectors?  That  The  Meaning 
they  may  have  an  expert  engineer,  with  the  compliments  of  the 
Association,  to  advise  with  local  people  on  street  paving?  That 
they  can  get  vexed  questions  of  rates  and  traffic  regulations 


268  SELLINGLUMBER 

straightened  out  by  means  of  the  Association?  That  the  Associa- 
tion will  answer  any  sensible  and  reasonable  question  about  yellow 
pine?  If  they  do  not  know  these  things,  tell  them,  and  keep  on 
telling  them ;  and  if  you  have  a  friend  who  knows  them  all,  then 
you  had  better  sit  at  his  feet  and  learn,  for  he  is  indeed  an  up-to- 
date  buyer,  and  a  well  informed  man,  and  you  should  remember  that 
old  Eastern  adage,  transposed  to  fit  modern  conditions, 

"He  who  knows,  and  knows  that  he  knows,  is  wise!  Follow 
him." 

The  quid  pro  quo  governs  all  the  relations  of  commercial  life, 
and  if  you  do  all  these  things  and  give  the  necessary  extra  time  to 
equip  yourselves  to  handle  these  matters  intelligently  and  well,  you 
must  naturally  know  where  you  will  come  in.  The  more  knowl- 
edge you  have  about  the  commodity  you  have  to  sell,  the  better 
equipped  you  are  to  sell  it,  and  consequently  you  can  increase  your 
.  sales  both  as  to  quantity  and  quality.  There  is  not  a  man  sitting 

Knowledge    before  me  here  today  who  could  not  materially  increase  his  indi- 

Mea^peF."    vidual  compensation,  if  he  were  able  to  show  an  increase  of  25  per 
sonal  Profit  ...  ,J  r 

cent  in  his  sales.    Many  of  you  aspire  to  better  positions  than  you 

now  hold.  The  man  who  gets  the  better  position  is  the  one  who 
fits  himself  for  it  before  the  job  is  ready.  Most  general  sales 
agents  have  graduated  from  the  ranks  of  travelers.  Many  general 
managers  have  evoluted  from  general  sales  agents,  and  quite  a 
number  of  presidents  and  owners  have  come  from  the  rank  and 
file. 

But  even  if  no  material  compensation  came  to  you  immediately, 
there  would  be  that  inner  feeling  of  self-satisfaction  which  comes 
to  a  man  when  he  enters  into  the  ring  of  competition,  and  knows 
that  whatever  angle  the  fight  may  take  he  is  competent  to  hold  his 
own.  He  has  achieved  a  dignified  position  among  his  fellowmen, 
and  can  lie  down  at  night  with  consciousness  of  duty  well  per- 
formed. 

And  lastly,  if  you  buckle  down  to  this  work,  and  are  able  to 
hold  up  your  end  of  it,  skillfully,  untiringly  and  pleasantly,  under 
stress  of  all  kinds,  I  can  truly  say  to  you,  gentlemen,  that  you  will 
be  worthy  of  that  epitaph  which  some  people  claim  Bret  Harte  wrote 
on  a  friend  of  his:  ^ 

"He  did  his  damndest.    Angels  could  do  no  more/' 


SELLING     LUMBER 


269 


Standard  Mill  Construction 

By  Robert  S.  Lindstrum 

Illinois  Chapter,  American  Institute 
of  Architects 
Chicago,  111. 

1  will  now  endeavor  to  talk  to  you  for  a  few  moments  and  tell 
you  without  the  use  of  too  many  technical  terms  how  yellow  pine 
timbers  can  be  successfully  introduced  and  used  in  the  construction 
of  various  types  of  buildings  and  how  you,  the  salesmen,  together 
with,  myself,  an  architect,  can  here  thrash  out  the  difficulties  we 
have  encountered  in  the  past  in  trying  to  get  together  on  a  harmoni- 
ous basis  and  have  a  thorough  understanding  as  to  just  what  you 
have  to  sell,  and  what  we  can  expect  to  get  out  of  a  sales  transac- 
tion. 

In  the  past  few  months  the  barrier  that  has  apparently  stood 
between  architect  and  other  trades  connected  with  building  operation, 
and  especially  the  lumber  interests,  has  been  removed  so  that  now 
we  can  meet  each  other  and  better  understand  each  other,  thereby 
working  more  harmoniously  for  each  other's  interest  and  it  is  in 
that  spirit  I  hope  I  am  talking  to  you  today. 

One  of  the  most  successful  of  our  large  lumber  operators  at  a 
recent  meeting  in  response  to  a  request  by  th£  chairman  to  say  a 
few  words  in  reference  to  the  lumber  industry  for  the  enlighten- 
ment of  the  audience  present,  responded  in  a  few  words  that  hit  the 
nail  on  the  head  by  openly  confessing  that  the  lumber  interests  have 
been  asleep  at  the  switch,  and  if  the  switch  is  locked  the  main  track 
is  thereby  closed.  By  the  main  track,  I  mean  the  right-of-way  and 
unobstructed  route  from  the  lumber  manufacturer  to  the  building 
interests. 

From  lack  of  experience,  and  enlightenment,  from  men  who 
really  know1  about  lumber  and  its  characteristics  the  architect  has 
been  left,  against  his  own  wishes,  to  solve  the  problem  of  lumber 
and  lumber  specifications  alone. 

Each  architect  naturally  is  supposed  to  have  some  sort  of  an 
artistic  temperament  which  sometimes  may  make  him  a  fitting  sub- 
ject for  an  asylum.  In  his  period  of  illusions  he  sometimes  em- 
bellishes the  language  in  his  specifications  so  that  within  forty-eight 


Promoting 
Yellow  Pine 
Timbers 


A  Trade 

Barrier 

Removed 


The  Archi- 
tect Left 
Alone  to 
Solve  the 
Lumber 
Problem 


270 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The 

Contractor 
Figures  for 
Profit 


The 

Contractor's 
Finances 
Limited 


Then 
Comes  a 
Critical 
Moment 


hours  after  writing  them,  hej  himself,  the  architect  supreme,  cannot 
interpret  his  own  writings.  Therefore,  how  can  we  expect  the 
next  man  in  order,  the  contractor,  who  only  reads  a  specification 
for  profit,  and  who  knows  that  the  architect  himself  cannot  in- 
terpret his  own  specifications,  proceeds  to  interpret  them  only  for 
his  own  profit.  ^ 

The  contractor  having  this  power  vested  in  his  charge,  his 
decision  necessarily  becomes  final  and  binding,  as  the  lumber  manu- 
facturer receives  a  list  from  the'  contractor  giving  the  sizes  of  the 
material,  also  the  quality  to  be  furnished,  for  a  structure.  The  lum- 
ber manufacturer  does  not  know  for  what  purpose  the  lumber  is  to 
be  used,  consequently  without  any  question  whatever  he  furnishes 
the  lumber  of  quality  ordered  by  the  contractor,  and  bills  him  for 
the  amount  furnished. 

The  majority  of  contractors  do  not  carry  a  sufficient  amount 
of  bank  balance  to  meet  all  claims  or  bills  for  materials  entering 
into  the  building,  therefore,  the  contractor  must  necessarily  rely 
upon,  a  certificate  from  the  architect  to  the  owner  for  money  to 
meet  his  current  bills. 

In  other  words,  the  manufacturer  of  lumber,  the  lumber  dealer, 
as  well  as  manufacturers  of  all  other  materials  entering  into  the 
building,  must  finance  themselves  for  a  certain  length  of  time,  pend- 
ing the  receiving  of  money  from  the  owner. 

It  is  when  certificates  are  called  for  by  the  contractor  that  the 
architect,  with  his  wonderful  knowledge  of  lumber,  first  visits  the 
building  to  critically  inspect  and  ascertain  if  the  lumber  furnished 
makes  it  safe  for  him  to  issue  a  certificate  to  the  contractor  for 
payment  to  the  lumber  dealer  for  lumber  furnished  by  him. 

It  is  then  at  that  critical  moment  when  the  contractor,  the 
lumber  manufacturer,  and  the  dealer,  are  forced  to  resort  to  arbi- 
tration, as  to  what  was  specified  and  what  was  delivered  at  the  job. 
Arbitration  which  results  ultimately  in  exposing  the  ignorance  of 
the  layman,  as  well  as  the  professional  man,  called  the  architect, 
the  master  builder  called  the  contractor,  and  the  lumber  manufac- 
turer or  dealer. 

Generally,  the  arbitrator,  who  usually  is  a  technical  lawyer  and 
who  does  not  know  the  difference  between  an  architect's  specifica- 
tions and  a  fairy  tale,  steps  into  the  arena,  and  his  decision  be- 
comes final  and  binding,  which  naturally  results  in  a  greater  separa- 


SELLING    LUMBER  271 

tion  between  all  parties  concerned,  and  a  financial  loss  to  the  lum- 
berman. 

But  just  at  present  the  atmosphere  is  somewhat  clearer,  due  to 
educational  campaigns,  such  as  the  ones  you  are  now  holding,  and 
likewise  the  intermingling  of  the  architects,  the  lumber  manufac- 
turers and  the  lumber  dealers  in  heart  to  heart  talks  at  open  meet- 
ings, which  are  becoming  more  and  more  instructive,  and  are  creat-  The  Atmos- 
ing  a  closer  friendship  so  that  the  architect  not  infrequently  calls 
the  salesman  or  sales  manager  representing  the  lumber  interests  into 
his  office  to  discuss  thoroughly  quality  rather  than  quantity  and 
the  lowest  possible  price,  thereby  intelligently  writing  a  lumber 
specification  that  can  be  interpreted  only  one  way  by  all  concerned, 
leaving  the  arbitration  lawyer  to  seek  his  remuneration  and  employ- 
ment elsewhere. 

Here  we  are  face  to  face,  you  gentlemen  representing  the  lum- 
ber interests,  and  I  personally  representing  the  profession  of  archi- 
tecture, consequently  there  is  no  more  fitting  place,  and  meeting 
ground,  to  discuss  for  a  few  moments  our  future  relations,  than  at 
a  meeting  such  as  the  one  you  are  now  holding  here. 

No  doubt  you  gentlemen  know  that  in  the  past  it  has  not  been 
so  easy  when  calling  upon  an  architect  to  get  by  the  office  boy  and 
through  the  door  leading  to  the  private  office  and  to  meet  the  archi- 
tect himself.  You,  therefore,  naturally  ask  yourself  the  question, 
why  the  lumber  salesmen  cannot  as  readily  have  an  interview  with 
the  architect  as  the  salesman  representing  other  materials  that  enter  Why  Archi- 


into  the  construction  of  the  building.     That  question  I  will  try  to       e"  'Lumber 


answer  to  your  satisfaction  and  enlightenment.     There  are  many    Salesmen 

salesmen  that  in  the  past  when  meeting  an  architect  have  forgotten 

to  practice  the  old  virtue  called  "honesty."    They  have  not  always 

been  honest  with  themselves  when  they  have  led  the  architect  to 

believe  that  the  lumber  specified  was  the  best  lumber  of  its  kind, 

regardless  of  quality  or  of  the  place  where  it  was  to  be  used.    We 

all  know  that  there  are  various  kinds  of  trees  in  our  forests,  conse- 

quently various  kinds  of  lumber  in  those  trees,  therefore  if  you  are    ^j^^  DeuSs 

a  salesman  and  representing  oak,  it  might  be  wise  to  tell  the  archi-    of  Species 

tect  that  there  are  two  principal  kinds  of  oak  —  red  oak  and  white 

oak  —  and  not  simply  tell  him  to  write  the  word  oak  alone  in  his 

specifications. 

The  architect  might  be  thinking  of  using  white  oak,  and  you, 
the  salesman,  not  knowing  for  what  purpose  the  lumber  is  to  be 


272 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Supply  What 
Is  Wanted— 
or  Pass 
the  Sale 


Following 
Up  the  Sale 
to  Delivery 


Architects 
Are  Becoming 
Specialists 


used,  may  deliver  to  him  in  one  shipment  alone  both  red  and  white 
oak.  While  the  mixed  red  and  white  oak  may  be  of  a  good  quality 
of  its  kind,  yet  it  may  not  fit  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended. 

Why  not  be  honest  with  yourselves,  and  with  the  architects 
with  whom  you  come  in  contact  ?  Why  hesitate  to  ask  the  architect 
for  what  particular  purpose  the  lumber  in  question  is  to  be  used, 
and  if  your  competitor  handles  white  oak  and  you  handle  red  oak, 
let  the  one  who  furnishes  the  material  wanted  make  the  sale  and 
let  him  likewise  return  the  compliment  to  you  by  letting  you  make 
a  sale  when  your  particular  kind  of  oak  is  to  be  used? 

This  theory  also  holds  good  in  other  kinds  of  lumber,  espe- 
cially in  the  structural  timber  that  enters  into  the  construction  of  a 
building.  The  architect,  if  he  is  a  man  of  experience,  ability  and 
logical  reasoning  power,  is  a  coach  to  his  client  in  reference  to  the 
kind  of  building  to  be  constructed,  and  the  quality  of  materials 
entering  into  the  building,  as  to  their  strength  for  carrying  the 
loads  that  are  to  be  placed  in  the  particular  building. 

Therefore,  if  the  architect  specified  a  grade  of  material  su- 
perior to  that  in  common  usage,  and  carefully  writes  his  specifica- 
tion, laying  particular  stress  upon  grade,  quality  and  color,  he 
should  have  enough  confidence  in  you,  as  a  salesman,  to  confer 
with  you  frequently  in  reference  to  the  specification  that  he  has 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  contractors  for  their  use  in  bidding  on 
the  contemplated  structure.  Thus  you  may  be  fully  informed  when 
the  contract  is  let  and  may  follow  up  the  sale  of  the  lumber  (know- 
ing what  the  architect's  specifications  call  for),  and  not  permitting 
the  contractor  to  buy  any  material  he  chooses  regardless  of  quality 
on  a  competitive  price  basis,  which  will  compel  you  to  forget  that 
old  virtue,  honesty. 

The  profession  of  architecture  is  more  and  more  becoming 
a  specialty,  each  individual  specializing  in  the  kind  of  buildings 
his  ability  and  experience  enables  him  to  design  successfully.  There- 
fore, the  salesman,  to  keep  in  trim  with  the  progress  of  the  day, 
must  naturally  specialize  in  some  particular  kind  of  material.  What 
I  mean  by  specialization  on  the  part  of  the  salesman  is  that  a  sales- 
man who  sells  lumber  for  an  apartment  building,  for  structural 
purposes,  consisting  of  small  joists,  small  wood  studding,  and  small 
roof  joists,  cannot  successfully  meet  the  architect  who  is  a  specialist 
in  mill-constructed  types  of  building  or  heavily  loaded  buildings, 


SELLING     LUMBER 


273 


such  as  are  used  for  warehouses  and  manufacturing  purposes,  and 
endeavor  to  sell  him  the  same  quality  of  material  as  he  would  nat- 
urally sell  to  the  architect  who  simply  builds  light  frame  structures, 
such  as  farm  structures,  city  residences,  etc. 

The  lumber  manufacturers  have  already  been  in  close  contact 
with  the  architect  at  various  occasional  meetings  of  a  get-together 
nature,  and  I  assure  you  that  the  salesman's  ability  to  specialize 
will  be  observed  very  quickly  by  his  employer,  because  it  will  result 
in  a  noticeable  and  material  increase  in  sales,  thereby  increasing  the 
profits  and  the  salesman's  earning  capacity. 

As  an  illustration,  we  will  consider  for  a  few  moments  the 
architect  who  specializes  in  heavy  warehouse  buildings  of  a  mill- 
constructed  type.  The  first  question  that  I  will  endeavor  to  answer 
is  :  What  is  mill  construction  ? 

Mill  construction  is  a  type  of  building  wherein  wood  is  intended 
to  be  used  in  such  manner  as  to  resist  fire  as  much  as  possible.  In 
other  words,  there  may  be  a  fire  in  the  building,  and  if  the  quality 
of  the  lumber  is  right  and  if  the  structural  members  are  of  the  stand- 
ard sizes  known  as  mill-construction  sizes,  namely,  the  joist  not 
being  less  than  6  inches  by  12  inches  on  the  end  section,  the  posts 
and  columns  not  less  than  10  inches  by  10  inches,  and  the  thickness 
of  the  flooring  not  less  than  3  inches,  the  enclosing  walls  of  the 
building  being  made  of  brick  or  of  some  fireproof  material,  all 
stairways,  elevator  shafts,  etc.,  being  enclosed  in  fireproof  walls, 
with  openings  leading  to  the  same,  having  fire  doors,  also  intro- 
ducing fire  windows  on  all  exterior  walls,  we  then  have  what  is 
commonly  called  and  accepted  by  specialists  in  that  line  as  a  mill- 
constructed  building.  Some  of  the  advantages  of  mill-constructed 
buildings  are  the  strength  of  the  floors,  a  low  rating  of  fire  and 
liability  insurance,  and  a  minimized  cost  of  maintenance. 

By  the  strength  of  the  floors  I  mean  that  the  quality  of  the 
lumber  used  in  the  construction  of  the  building  must  be  of  a  kind 
that  will  best  withstand  the  live  loadings  placed  upon  the  floors. 
By  live  loading  we  mean  the  loading  of  the  goods,  machinery, 
equipment,  etc.,  placed  on  the  floors  by  the  occupant  of  the  build- 
ing. Better  to  illustrate  the  term  live  load  as  used  architecturally, 
we  will  take  a  railroad  bridge  over  a  river.  This  bridge  spanning 
from  one  bank  of  the  river  to  the  other,  naturally  must  carry  the 
weight  of  the  material  in  the  bridge  itself,  and,  in  addition  to 


Salesmen's 
Ability  to 
Specialize 
Means  In- 
creased Sales 


The  Meaning 
of  "Mill 
Construction' 


"Live"  Loads 
on  Building 
Floors 


274 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  "Dead" 
Load  in  a 
Building 


Concrete 
or  Mill 
Construction? 


Low  Rates 
of  Insurance 
on  Mill- 
Construction 
Buildings 


Breaks 

Caused  by  the 
Elements 


being  strong  enough  to  carry  its  own  weight,  it  must  withstand  a 
moving  load  or  shock  caused  when  the  railroad  train  runs  over  the 
bridge.  This  we  call  the  live  load. 

The  weight  of  the  railroad  bridge  without  the  locomotive  or 
train  running  over  same,  in  itself  is  called  the  dead  load,  as  that 
load  is  always  there.  Likewise,  in  a  building  the  columns,  girders, 
joists,  floors  and  walls  combine  to  make  what  is  commonly  termed 
architecturally  the  dead  load. 

So  that  when  you  are  furnishing  a  bill  of  lumber  that  has  a 
greater  live  load  to  contend  with  than  used  in  common  practice,  it 
sometimes  becomes  necessary  for  the  architect  to  specify  the  strong- 
est material  obtainable,  which  naturally  costs  a  great  deal  more 
than  the  lumber  used  in  the  ordinary  type  of  a  mill-constructed 
building. 

There  is  a  great  question  among  the  architects,  among  the 
speculative  builders  and  among  the  men  who  furnish  the  money, 
as  to  whether  it  is  safer  to  build  mill-constructed  buildings  or  rein- 
forced concrete  buildings.  Personally,  I  am  in  favor  of  mill-con- 
structed, strictly.  Throughout  the  United  States,  in  the  insurance 
world,  there  is  but  one  instance  where  a  properly  constructed  mill- 
construction  has  burned  down.  There  are  many  instances  of  a  con- 
crete building  crumbling  down  by  a  small  blaze  caused,  for  in- 
stance, by  a  billboard — I  use  that  for  illustration.  The  rate  of  insur- 
ance on  mill  construction,  properly  sprinklered,  is  10  cents,  as 
against  $1.70,  unsprinklered.  In  the  mill-constructed  buildings  in- 
sured in  the  mutual  companies  of  Boston  we  not  only  get  protec- 
tion of  the  building  from  fire,  we  get  protection  from  sprinkler 
leakage,  earthquake  and  breaks  caused  by  the  elements.  What  I 
mean  by  breaks  caused  by  the  elements  is,  we  may  have  a  terrific 
wind,  and  a  crack  might  open  on  the  side  of  the  building.  You 
are  insured  against  all  of  that.  But,  sprinkler  leakage,  alone !  Just 
as  an  illustration :  I  had  two  buildings,  two  years  ago,  and  there 
was  somewhat  of  a  miniature  cyclone;  the  roofs  were  taken  off 
entirely.  One  of  the  owners  called  me  up  at  my  residence  Sunday 
night  and  told  me  to  get  a  contractor  on  the  job  immediately,  the 
next  morning,  to  repair  the  damage.  I  said,  "What  do  you  want 
of  a  contractor?  You  are  carrying  mutual  insurance.  Don't  you 
know  you  are  insured?"  That  man  collected  $62,000  on  a  $130,000 
loss,  on  the  sprinkler  leakage  alone.  That,  gentlemen,  to  the  sales- 
man, is  a  talking  point  for  mill  construction.  (Applause). 


SELLING     LUMBER 


275 


We  also  have  to  deal  with  another  type  of  building  which  we 
call  ordinary  construction.  This  type  of  construction  is  used  in 
buildings  where  there  are  light  loadings,  such  as  apartment  build- 
ings and  residences  where  only  forty  pounds  per  square  foot  loading 
is  required,  against  100  pounds  or  more  required  in  mill-constructed 
buildings.  A  great  majority  of  the  wood  buildings  erected  are  of 
the  ordinary  construction  type  such  as  churches,  schoolhouses,  resi- 
dences, farm  buildings,  etc. 

In  the  ordinary  constructed  type  of  building,  the  roof  joists 
are,  generally  speaking,  2  by  12,  floor  joists  2  by  12,  the  studding 
2  by  4  and  2  by  6,  with  1  by  2  furring  strips  on  the  walls,  and  in 
general,  all  the  lumber  entering  into  the  building  must  be  of  a  qual- 
ity meeting  with  the  requirements  of  the  live  floor  loading  of  the 
particular  building  in  which  it  is  to  be  used. 

Therefore,  you  realize,  gentlemen,  that  to  intelligently  furnish 
construction  lumber,  'you  must  of  necessity  know  for  what  purpose 
it  is  to  be  used. 

There  are  two  classes  of  lumber  that  by  experience  have  been 
classified  as  the  standard  adopted  lumber  for  mill-constructed  type 
of  buildings,  namely,  yellow  pine  and  Douglas  fir. 

As  you  all  know,  there  are  variations  in  botanical  species  in 
yellow  pine,,  consequently  for  the  girders,  posts  and  joists  the 
strongest  material  obtainable  should  be  used,  while  for  the  floor 
boards,  roof  boards  and  partitions  the  strength  quality  is  not  so 
essential  and  here  other  grades  may  be  used. 

The  lumber  manufacturers  can  aid  very  materially  in  increas- 
ing the  demand  for  mill-constructed  types  of  buildings,  and  thereby 
can  increase  their  sales  of  lumber  by  such  educational  campaigns 
as  they  are  now  conducting,  thereby  educating  the  layman  and  the 
architect  with  reference  to  quality  in  various  kinds  of  lumber.  In 
other  words,  it  is  absolutely  unreasonable  that  because  you  are 
manufacturing  a  certain  grade  of  lumber,  you  should  insist  upon 
the  architect  or  builder  using  your  one. kind  of  material  throughout 
the  structure,  rather  than  to  allow  your  competitor  to  introduce 
his  material  for  the  parts  to  which  they  are  better  suited,  thereby 
decreasing  the  cost  of  building  operation,  and  creating  an  incentive 
for  the  money-man  to  invest  his  money  in  buildings  rather  than 
in  stocks  and  bonds. 

When  you  graduate  from  this  school  of  instruction  that  you 
are  now  attending,  permit  me  to  advise  you  to  visit  as  many  archi- 


Constniction 
Known  as 
"Ordinary" 


These  Things 
the  Salesman 
Should  Know 

Yellow  Pine 
and 
Douglas  Fir 


276 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Advised 
to  Visit 
Architects 


Don't  Try 
to  Win 
Through 
"Pull" 


Lumber 
the  One 
Nameless 
Material 


Branding 
of  Timbers 
Should  Be 
Insisted  Upon 
by  Every 
Architect 


tects  as  you  possibly  can  and  show  them  that  you  have  the  courage 
to  butt  in  and  do  your  part  toward  improving  their  methods  of 
operation,  first  thoroughly  acquainting  yourself  with  their  lumber 
problems. 

Another  point  that  I  wish  you  would  take  to  heart  as  lumber 
manufacturers,  and  salesmen  of  lumber,  is  that  with  the  architect 
you  will  not  proceed  very  far  in  winning  his  confidence  if  you  at- 
tempt to  reach  him  through  a  "pull."  You  may  have  your  first 
audience  through  pull,  but  I  am  afraid  that  you  will  have  a  very 
long  wait  before  the  architect  gives  you  a  second  invitation  to  visit 
him.  If  you  know  your  business,  and  are  thoroughly  efficient  in 
your  line,  you  will  become  so  convincing  in  your  argument  to  the 
architect  regarding  the  material  you  are  handling  that  you  will  for- 
get to  criticise  your  competitor's  goods,  as  you  must  remember  the 
architect  did  not  call  on  you  to  get  your  version  or  personal  crit- 
icism of  the  other  fellow's  goods.  What  he  called  you  for  was 
your  true  and  honest  opinion  of  the  quality  of  your  own  goods. 
If  you  can  win  his  confidence  you  may  rest  assured  that  in  his  speci- 
fications he  will  place  the  name  of  your  goods  and  will  not  follow  it 
up  by  the  term  "or  equal."  By  "or  equal"  I  mean,  an  invitation  to 
every  other  lumberman  to  compete  on  the  same  building. 

Probably  you  are  not  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  one  material 
entering  into  buildings  that  has  been  considered  least  with  regard  to 
its  origin  is  lumber.  Take,  for  instance,  heating,  plumbing,  electric 
goods,  stone,  brick,  etc.  Almost  invariably  the  name  of  the  manu- 
facturer and  the  catalog  number  of  the  manufacturer  are  specified 
in  detail,  but  when  it  conies  to  lumber,  wherein  the  strength  of  the 
building  depends,  the  specification  is  usually  left  for  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  contractor,  who,  I  may  say,  is  not  always  regarded  as 
the  best  authority. 

Right  here  I  want  to  add  something.  Two  weeks  ago  I  was 
called  in  as  a  witness  on  a  building  that  collapsed.  The  architect 
who  built  this  building  stated  to  me  that  he  had  absolutely  long 
leaf  yellow  pine  in  the  building.  I  looked  in  his  specifications.  It 
said,  "yellow  pine,  kiln-dried,  or  hemlock."  The  building  col- 
lapsed. (Applause.) 

Agitation  was  started  some  time  ago  in  the  interest  of  more 
scientific  grading!  of  Southern  pine  lumber  and  its  identification 
by  the  use  of  brands,  by  branding  on  the  material  the  name  of  the 
manufacturer  and  the  location  of  the  mill  where  it  was  manufac- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


277 


tured.  The  branding  of  timbers  is  a  step  in  the  right  direction  and 
should  be  insisted  upon  by  every  architect. 

And  I  can  assure  you  gentlemen  that  the  architects  who  are 
handling  mill-constructed  buildings  today  are  introducing  long 
leaf  yellow  pine  in  their  specifications.  (Applause). 

One  difficulty  that  the  builder  and  the  architect  have  had  to 
contend  with  in  the  past  is  the  promise  often  made  by  the  lumber 
salesman  that  his  mill  will  deliver  the  necessary  material  in  a  speci- 
fied time,  furnishing  to  the  builder  the  lower  portions  of  the  struc- 
ture and  then  completing  his  order  by  supplying  the  material  for 
the  various  floors  as  the  building  progresses. 

The  inability  of  the  lumber  manufacturer  to  keep  his  promise 
often  does  more  than  words  can  tell  to  decrease  the  volume  of  mill 
construction  and  this  sliding  decrease  in  mill  construction  should 
be  stopped.  And  you  gentlemen  are  the  ones  who  can  stop  it  by 
being  honest  with  the  architect  and  yourselves — by  telling  him  that 
you  will  furnish  roof  boards  first  and  the  first  story  and  basement 
columns  last,  so  that  he  will  write  his  specifications  Chinese  fashion, 
namely,  backward. 

Leaving  all  jokes  aside,  I  hope  you  have  come  to  a  realization 
of  the  situation,  and  that  you  will  soon  modify  your  method  of 
procedure  to  meet  with  the  requirements  of  all  concerned  in  refer- 
ence to  building  construction  lumber. 

Finally,  if  we  cannot  all  specialize,  I  believe  that  the  man  with 
reasonable  ability,  who  can  apply  himself  to  the  situation,  will  win 
out  in  the  long  run  and  will  have  honors  conferred  upon  him  as  a 
successful  business  man  in  his  chosen  line. 


Best  Finishes  for   Yellow 
Pine  for  Interior  Use 

By  R.  H.  Brooks 

Manager,  Arkansas  Soft  Pine  Bureau 

Little  Rock,  Ark. 

A  very  considerable  percentage  of  you  gentlemen  cover  the 
Northern  and  Eastern  territory  where  all  Southern  Pine  is  com- 
monly referred  to  by  architects  and  laymen  as  "Georgia  Pine."  You 


Empty  Prom- 
ises of 
Prompt 
Delivery 


The  Man 
Who  Applies 
Himself 
Will  Win 


278 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Public 

Misconception 
of  Southern 
Pine 
Varieties 


Shortleaf  for 

Interior 

Trim 


are  therefore  aware  that  outside  of  the  dealers  and  wood-working 
plants,  everyone  else  who  gives  any  attention  to  our  wood,  very 
often  refers  to  it  also  as  "Pitch  Pine"  or  "Hard  Pine."  Few  lay- 
men understand  that  there  are  the  species  of  long  and  short  leaf, 
loblolly,  etc.,  and  that  each  of  these  is  a  specific  wood  for  specific 
purposes.  This  fact  was  very  forcibly  demonstrated  during  the 
exhibits  conducted  by  the  Southern  Pine  Association  and  Arkansas 
Soft  Pine  Bureau  at  Cleveland  and  Dayton,  Ohio,  last  winter, 
when  out  of  the  combined  attendance  of  nearly  250,000,  several 
thousand  individuals  took  the  opportunity  of  asking  questions  of 
those  who  were  in  charge  of  the  exhibits,  which  questions  proved 
the  preceding  statement.  The  outstanding  opinion  proved  to  be 
that  nearly  everyone  regarded  all  Southern  Pine  as  a  hard,  resinous 
wood,  suitable  for  interior  use  only  in  cheap  buildings  where  low 
cost  takes  precedent  over  artistic  effect.  The  general  idea  pre- 
vailed that  no  Southern  pine  could  be  finished  but  that  it  would 
appear  streaked  or  show  a  blotchy  color,  raised  grain,  etc.,  and  in- 
variably discolor  white  enamel  because  of  the  action  of  the  rosin 
on  the  white  lead. 

An  analysis  to  determine  the  cause  of  this  opinion  developed 
that  few  dealers  ever  take  pains  to  advise  customers  of  the  dif- 
ference between  long  and  short  leaf  and  of  the  further  fact  that 
the  latter  is  one  better  suited  for  interior  use.  Instead  they  merely 
deliver  so  much  Yellow  Pine  finish  to  a  given  job.  It  may  be  long 
or  short  leaf,  or  both — the  contractor  installs  it  in  his  own  way 
and  the  painter  comes  along  and  sees  nothing  but  another  lot  of 
"Georgia  Pine,"  which  he  proceeds  to  shampoo  with  shellac  as  the 
first  act  on  his  part  in  this  travesty  on  merchandising. 

Going  behind  the  dealer,  however,  we  find  the  manufacturer's 
salesman  is  also  to  blame  for  his  own  lack  of  interest  or  knowledge 
or  both,  and  that  were  he  more  alert  to  the  proper  finishing  of 
the  woods  he  sells,  that  the  dealer  would  as  a  matter  of  course 
absorb  a  good  deal  of  information  from  the  salesman  which  trie 
former  in  turn  could  pass  along  to  his  trade. 

Most  of  you  know,  in  a  general  way,  that  short  leaf  makes 
a  better  interior  trim  than  long  leaf,  because  it  is  less  resinous  and 
therefore  easier  to  work  and  less  likely  to  split,  but  do  you  actually 
know  why  long  leaf  always  looks  streaked  and  blotchy  under 
stained  treatments  and  why  it  seldom  can  be  made  to  look  any 
other  way?  It  is  because  first  of  all  the  painter  must  shellac  the 
raw  wood  for  the  purpose  of  neutralizing  the  rosin  in  an  effort 


SELLINGLUMBER  279 

to  actually  hold  it  in  so  that  it  may  not  produce  a  subsequent 
chemical  action  on  the  applied  stain.  As  a  result  of  this,  the  pores 
of  the  sap  section  between  the  rosin  rings  are  completely  filled 
with  shellac  so  that  the  stain  itself  when  applied  is  thus  prevented 
from  properly  uniting  with  the  wood  fiber,  but  must  become  merely 
super-imposed  artificial  surface.  In  addition,  the  rosin  of  the 
summer  wood  growth  actually  repels  any  applied  shellac  or  stain 
so  that  anything  like  even  a  color  absorption  is  definitely  im- 
possible. Yet  in  spite  of  this,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  feet  ot 
long  leaf  casing  and  base  are  being  put  into  houses  with  exactly  the 
results  mentioned  and  the  inevitable  adverse  opinion  which  the 
owner  or  tenant  soon  comes  to  form  regarding  Yellow  Pine  finish. 
And  every  one  of  us  knows  exactly  what  happens  to  white  enamel 
on  long  leaf.  It  turns  as  yellow  as  cheese  in  a  few  years. 

Now  short  leaf,  on  the  other  hand,  eliminates  the  factor  of 
rosin  at  the  outset.  If  the  stock  is  properly  manufactured  from 
the  sap  section  of  the  log,  it  will  contain  a  negligible  amount  of 
pitch.  There  is  therefore,  nothing  to  require  neutralizing  with 
shellac  and  the  stain  or  white  lead  is  properly  applied  directly  to 
the  raw  wood.  The  color  is  thus  permitted  to  penetrate  the  fiber 
of  the  wood  itself  and  as  the  grain  is  not  hard,  an  even,  uniform 
absorption  takes  place,  resulting  in  a  pleasing,  harmonious  appear- 
ance. Following  the  application  of  the  color  treatment,  shellac  and 
varnishes  are  applied  and  rubbed  down  for  a  dull  finish  or  the 
varnish  may  be  left  in  the  gloss  if  desired. 

When  applying  white  enamel,  the  same  procedure  obtains,  that 
is,  the  white  lead  priming  is  applied  directly  to  the  raw  wood, 
which  permits  of  a  complete  engagement  of  the  fiber  and  pig- 
ment, known  technically  as  chemical  affinity.  Thus  an  ideal  base 
for  the  enamel  is  established,  which,  when  applied  and  rubbed  to  a  Yellow  Pine 
mirror-like  smoothness  will  successfully  rival  any  finish  or  similar 
treatment  on  any  of  the  more  expensive  hardwoods  heretofore 
preferred  by  architects. 

In  this  connection,  it  was  interesting  to  note  first  the  in- 
credulity and  subsequent  favorable  opinion  which  many  architects 
manifested  in  the  white  enamel  short  leaf  panels  exhibited  at 
Cleveland.  After  seeing  what  really  could  be  done  on  the  wood, 
which  they  were  surprised  td  learn  was  a  Yellow  Pine  different 
in  character  from  Georgia  Pine,  they  were  still  further  impressed 
with  the  fact  that  it  could  be  purchased  at  retail  in  Cleveland  ter- 


280 


SELLING     LUMBER 


A  Varnish 
Maker's 
Finishing 
Specifications 


ritory  at  about  $50  per  thousand  against  $80  for  poplar  usually 
specified. 

One  of  the  most  striking  examples  which  demonstrates  the 
superiority  of  short  leaf  over  the  more  resinous  variety  is  the 
application  of  silver  gray  effect  now  so  popular  in  the  North 
and  East.  All  other  colors  recommended  for  pine  are  in  oil  stains, 
but  silver  gray  is  an  acid  stain  and  has  heretofore  been  considered 
satisfactory  only  upon  hardwoods  like  oak,  ash  and  chestnut, 
which  are  of  the  open  grain  variety. 

When  applied  to  long  leaf,  the  color  refuses  to  enter  the 
rosin  section  and  is  only  partially  absorbed  by  the  sap  section. 
Short  leaf,  on  the  other  hand,  because  of  its  softer  character,  while 
not  taking  this  stain  as  evenly  as  hardwood,  does  absorb  it  in  a 
thoroughgoing  manner,  leaving  just  enough  of  a  yellow  cast  to  the 
grain  to  render  a  pleasing  contrast. 

There  are  a  large  number  of  reliable  wood  finishing  concerns 
in  the  country  and  some  of  their  various  specifications  may  differ 
slightly,  but  I  wish  to  read  you  three  that  come  from  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  known  varnish  makers  in  the  country,  and  which 
were  particularly  written  for  short  leaf  pine. 

Dark  Mahogany — Sand  thoroughly,  then  one  coat  of  dark 
mahogany  oil  stain,  one  coat  shellac,  two  coats  varnish  rubbed  to 
a  dull  finish. 

•  Southern  Pine  in  the  Natural — One  coat  shellac  and  two  coats 
varnish  rubbed  to  a  dull  finish.  Never  use  so-called  hard  oil  treat- 
ment for  the  natural  effect.  It  invariably  turns  the  wood  dark 
and  gives  a  soiled  looking  appearance  in  a  comparatively  short 
time. 

White  Enamel — Sand  perfectly  smooth  and  apply  one  coat  of 
white  lead.  Sand  smooth  again,  then  two  coats  of  enamel  under- 
coating.  Sand  smooth  again  and  apply  two  coats  of  finishing 
enamel.  This  will  produce  a  glazed  finish.  If  egg  shell  or  dull 
effect  is  desired,  the  last  coat  should  be  rubbed,  when  hard,  with 
pulverized  pumice  stone  and  water. 

To  apply  the  stain,  apply  evenly  with  a  varnish  brush.  Allow 
twenty-four  hours  to  dry.  Turpentine  added  to  oil  stains  gives 
a  lighter  shade.  Wiping  off  an  oil  stain  with  a  soft  cloth  about 
five  minutes  after  it  is  applied  also  produces  a  lighter  shade,  and 
this  is  always  done  with  antique,  weathered  oak  and  golden  oak 
stains,  also  for  a  lighter  shade  of  forest  green. 


SELLINGLUMBER  281 

Before  applying  the  silver  gray  acid  stain,  the  wood  should 
first  be  sponged  with  cold  water  and  sand  papered  when  dry.  Also 
sand  paper  again  when  the  stain  is  dry,  which  is  not  necessary  when 
using  an  oil  stain.  Add  water  to  make  silver  gray  acid  stain 
lighter. 

To  rub  varnish  to  a  dull  finish  use  a  piece  of  rubbing  felt 
about  four  inches  square,  dipped  alternately  in  finely  pulverized 
pumice  stone  and  crude  oil  or  pulverized  pumice  stone  and  water. 
For  a  very  dull  finish  use  hair  cloth  or  curled  hair,  crude  oil  and    Methods  of 
a  coarse  grade  of  pumice  stone.    When  oil  is  used,  after  the  gloss    Rubbing 
is  thoroughly  removed,  the  work  should  be  wiped  off  with  clean,    Fmishes 
soft   cloths   or  cotton   waste.     When   water   is   used,  the   surface 
should  be  washed  with  water  and  dried  with  a  chamois  skin,  then 
oiled   off   with   linseed  or   rubbing   oil   used   sparingly   on   a   soft 
cloth  or  cotton  waste.    The  water  rub  method  is  the  only  one  suit- 
able for  rubbing  white  enamel. 

For  a  polished  finish  carry  out  the  water  rub  method  to  the 
point  of  oiling  off,  then  rub  with  rotten  stone  and  oil  or  rotten 
stone  and  water.  Where  rotten  stone  and  water  is  used,  finally 
apply  a  little  rotten  stone  to  the  palm  of  the  hand,  bringing  up 
the  high  polish  by  the  friction  of  the  hand.  After  the  surface  has 
been  polished,  oil  off  in  the  same  manner  as  described  above  for 
the  water  rub  finish. 

Of  prime  importance  is  the  matter  of  thorough  sanding.  Where 
at  all  possible,  all  flat  surfaced  finish,  including  round  edge  case  and 
base  should  be  machine  or  drum  sanded.  Hand  scraping  on  the 
bench  is  to  be  discouraged  at  all  times,  as  the  uneven  pressure  of 
the  scraper  scuffs  the  sap  section,  leaving  the  grain  slightly  raised. 
The  machine,  on  the  other  hand,  revolving  at  high  speed,  takes 
the  surface  down  uniformly,  while  at  the  same  time  the  heat  gen- 
erated by  the  drum  likewise  gives  a  polished  surface  to  the  wood 
itself.  When  this  work  is  completed  at  the  local  planing  mill,  or 
wherever  it  may  be  done,  the  stock  should  be  bundled  and  wrapped  Before  use 
in  paper  before  delivery  to  the  job  in  order  to  prevent  soil,  dust 
and  finger  marks  from  reaching  it.  In  other  words,  it  should 
be  handled  carefully  with  proper  regard  for  its  worth  and  use,  and 
not  thrown  down  on  the  wagon  bottom  or  floor  to  be  trod  upon 
and  kicked  about  until  ready  to  install,  as  is  so  often  the  case. 
After  such  careful  handling,  it  should  likewise  be  cleanly  installed, 
after  which  the  painter  may  proceed  at  once  with  his  work,  having 


282  SELLING     LUMBER 

the  material  in  the  best  and  proper  condition   for  a  satisfactory 
workmanlike  job  of  decorating. 

Does  it  not  therefore  seem  to  you,  gentlemen,  that  there  are 
a  great  many  things  which  you  can  now  tell  your  dealer  friends 
about  finishing  that  many  of  them  do  not  know,  and  which  would 
be  of  great  value  to  them  as  merchants  as  well  as  to  you  as  sales- 
men? Isn't  it  also  true  that  by  taking  this  information  to  your 
trade  and  at  the  same  time  letting  your  customers  know  that  you 
sell  a  wood  best  adapted  to  finishing,  that  the  dealer  will  become 
so  interested  in  what  the  stock  will  do  for  his  customers  that  your 
price  will  be  a  secondary  consideration? 


Advantages  of  Technical 

Training  in  the  Lumber 

Business 

By  S.  E.  Robinson 

Western  Lumber  Company 

Columbus,  Ohio 

I  have  been  given  a  few  minutes  by  Mr.  Kendall  to  tell  of 
the  technical  training  I  have  received  in  the  lumber  business  and 
to  let  you  men  judge  whether  it  is  worth  the  time  and  money 
expended. 

As  a  basis  of  this  talk,  I  take  it  that  every  man  here  and 
in  particular  the  men  who  control  the  mills,  who  established  the 
chair  of  lumbering  at  Yale,  and  who  are  responsible  for  the  lum- 
ber business  in  this  country,  are  interested  in  raising  the  standard 
of  that  industry.  I  do  not  mean  this  in  a  theoretical  way,  but  in 
a  practical  way ;  that  is,  to  extend  the  scope  of  the  business,  to 
get  more  sales  and  therefore  more  profits,  and  get  those  sales  in  a 
cleaner,  better  way. 

I  did  not  take  this  course  with  the  aim  of  fitting  myself  to 
become  a  lumber  salesman.  The  course  was  one  designed  to  turn 
out  a  professional  forester,  a  man  to  handle  timber  lands.  After 
I  had  taken  it  circumstances  willed  that  I  become  identified  with 
the  selling  end  of  the  lumber  game  and  my  purpose  today  is  to 


SELLINGLUMBER  283 

relate  how  the  training  I  received  filled  in  with  the  work  1  am 
now   doing. 

This    course   in    forestry   cost   $2,000    and    two   years'   time; 
it   included   three  months   in  the   woods   at   Milford,   Pa.,   fifteen   What  a 
months  at  New  Haven  in  class,  laboratory  and  field  work,   fol-    Forestry  Is 
lowed  by  three  months  at  the  Crossett  Lumber  Company's  plant. 

The  three  focusing  points  of  the  course  were  land,  trees  and 
wood ;  the  primary  aim  was  to  equip  a  man  so  that  he  could  enter 
the  United  States  Forest  service  as  a  forest  assistant,  or  technical 
aid.  The  work  of  the  United  States  Forest  Service  is  to,  admin- 
ister the  United  States  forests  of  approximately  100,000,000  acres, 
divided  into  units  of  about  1,000,000  acres  each.  The  control  and 
development  of  1,000,000  acres  of  land  involves  a  tremendous 
range  of  work  which  can  be  roughly  divided  as  follows: 

1st.  Administrative — Having  to  do  with  management  of  the 
area  and  the  people  on  it.  Just  as  a  big  rancher  or  corporation 
head  must  direct  his  business. 

2d.  Technical — Having  to  do  with  the  investigative  and  ex- 
perimental work  which  will  enable  the  Forest  Service  to  secure 
the  greatest  possible  returns  without  impairing  the  capital.  In 
other  words,  the  training  was  designed  to  give  a  man  a  broad 
survey  of  the  field  of  activities  beginning  with  propaganda  or 
high  class  of  advertising,  the  acquisition  of  land,  planting  of  trees, 
cultivation  of  the  forest  to  secure  certain  desired  results ;  the  solu- 
tion of  business  and  other  questions  involved  with  the  handling  of 
land  and  people;  the  harvesting,  utilization,  extension  of  markets 
and  the  consumption  of  timber  grown.  * 

By  virtue  of  this  broad  training,  a  man  should  be  able  to 
take  up  any  one  line  of  work,  quickly  grasp  the  conditions  he  must 
meet,  develop  his  judgment  and  get  results  with  the  highest  effi- 
ciency. 

To  get  down  to  specific  cases,  what  courses  of  instruction 
have  I  found  to  be  of  direct  help  in  selling  lumber? 

First,  those  having  to  do  with  wood.  We  were  taught  all 
the  essential  facts  as  to  the  structure,  texture,  strength,  toughness, 
durability,  weight  and  pitch  content  possessed  by  each  wood  of  Instruction 
any  commercial  importance  growing  in  the  United  States.  With 
that  the  uses  made  of  wood  in  this  country,  the  demands  of  dif- 
ferent classes  of  consumers  of  wood,  and,  as  a  natural  consequence, 
the  purposes  for  which  certain  woods  were  or  were  not  fitted. 


284 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Practical  Use 
of  Technical 
Knowledge 


Secondly,  those  having  to  do  with  trees.  These  courses  involve 
the  study  of  every  tree  species  of  commercial  importance  in  the 
United  States ;  as  to  where  it  grows ;  conditions  under  which  it 
has  grown  best  for  the  production  of  lumber;  and  the  kind  of 
lumber  it  produces,  as  for  instance,  clear  or  knotty,  strong  or 
weak,  durable  or  perishable,  straight  or  twisted  grain,  etc. 

Third,  those  having  to  do  with  the  maladies  to  which  trees 
and  wood  are  subject.  For  instance,  the  various  kinds  of  rots; 
how  they  spread;  the  conditions  under  which  rpts  thrive  and  how 
they  may  be  prevented  as  by  the  use  of  certain  woods  more  Im- 
mune to  these  attacks,  by  proper  paints  or  chemical  treatment. 
In  brief,  the  preservation  of  wood  from  fire,  fungi  and  insects. 

Fourth,  the  very  complete  course  in  lumbering.  This  course 
was  in  two  parts,  the  first  being  a  series  of  lectures  dealing  with 
every  phase  of  the  lumber  industry  of  every  section  of  the  United 
States,  including  the  logging,  manufacturing  and  selling  methods, 
the  equipment  used,  and  carefully  compiled  cost  for  a  great  number 
of  representative  operations. 

The  second  part  of  the  course  in  lumbering  was  a  detailed 
study  of  the  Crossett  Lumber  Co/s  operation  at  Crossett,  Ark. 
Here,  under  a  corps  of  experts  we  were  given  an  opportunity  to 
become  fairly  familiar  with  every  step  of  logging,  mill  and  office 
work.  All  departments  and  records  of  the  company  were  open  to 
our  inspection  and  every  possible  advantage  offered  us.  Among 
other  things,  I  spent  several  days  grading  under  the  eye  of  a  com- 
pany grader.  My  work  in  the  Government  Forest  Service  covered 
two  summers  and  a  winter  in  the  Western  Pine  and  Douglas  Fir 
regions,  including  two  weeks  in  the  plant  of  the  West  Oregon 
Lumber  Company  at  Portland. 

The  very  natural  question  that  has  probably  arisen  in  your 
minds  is,  "But  isn't  this  course  too  general  to  give  a  lumber  sales- 
man any  particular  edge  over  his  competitor?"  I  want  to  answer 
•that  question  by  relating  a  few  little  incidents  that  have  occurred 
to  me  while  I  have  been  on  the  road  for  the  Western  Lumber  Com- 
pany. 

Up  in  Ohio  in  one  town  in  my  territory,  there  is  a  dealer 
who  does  a  big  business  in  a  long  leaf  dimension.  I  had  never 
been  able  to  get  a  look-in  on  his  business ;  I  could  offer  him  just 
as  good  lumber  as  he  was  getting  and  at  just  as  attractive  prices, 
but  he  could  see  no  reason  for  changing.  One  day  I  called  and 
found  him  in  his  yard  trying  to  sell  a  customer  some  sap  stained 


SELLINGLUMBER  285 

dimension.  The  customer  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  stock, 
saying  it  was  a  form  of  rot  and  that  he  would  not  touch  it.  It 
looked  as  if  the  dealer  was  going  to  lose  a  sale.  Well,  I  butted 
into  the  conversation ;  took  a  piece  of  the  stock  and  explained 
that  the  sap  stain  was  caused  by  a  fungus  or  mould  which  affected 
neither  the  strength  nor  durability  of  the  wood,  and  cited  some 
Government  tests  to  prove  my  point.  This  information  I  had 
gotten  during  my  two  years'  forestry  training.  The  customer  was 
convinced  and  bought  the  lumber,  while  the  dealer  to  whom  I 
had  never  been  able  to  sell  a  foot  of  lumber  hustled  me  into  his 
office  and  gave  me  orders  for  two  good  cars.  At  another  small 
town  in  Ohio,  I  went  in  to  see  a  dealer  in  an  effort  to  dispose  of 
two  cars  of  red  heart  boards  that  we  had  in  transit  and  on  which 
there  was  accruing  demurrage.  I  found  the  dealer  to  be  in  the 
market  for  boards  but  strongly  prejudiced  against  red  heart.  I 
explained  that  while  the  defect  was  caused  by  rot,  yet  as  soon  as 
the  tree  was  cut  and  the  wood  placed  in  a  protected  place,  the 
rotting  process  stopped  and  that  the  boards  were  not  harmed  at 
all  for  certain  purposes  if  the  disease  had  not  progressed  too  far. 
I  had  to  go  into  a  good  deal  of  detail  explaining  this  and  eventually 
he  became  interested,,  so  that  I  was  able  to  prove  to  him  that  his 
prejudice  was  unfounded  in  our  case  for  zve  knew  our  business 
well  enough  to  avoid  shipping  bad  red  heart.  The  demurrage 
stopped  on  those  two  cars  that  day. 

These  experiences  could  be  continued,  but  they  cover  the 
ground.  After  all,  the  greatest  value  I  have  found  in  my  technical 
training  lies  in  using  it  constantly  in  an  indirect  manner.  The 
man  with  superior  personality  or  with  a  superior  organization  or 
product  back  of  him,  of  course,  has  the  edge  on  a  man  lacking 
some  of  these.  But,  in  any  case  the  man  who  has  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  what  he  is  selling  and  why  a  certain  man  should 
buy  it,  has  a  basis  for  establishing  the  dealer's  confidence  in  him-  Technical 
self,  his  firm  and  his  product.  It  enables  him  to  lay  down  cold  Training  in 
facts  before  the  dealer,  appeal  for  business  in  a  logical,  forceful 
way,  to  stamp  his  own  personality  on  the  minds  and  methods  of 
his  customers,  and  to  make  himself  a  fixture  in  their  business. 
For  the  last  two  months  I  have  averaged  three  cars  a  week  from 
my  territory  from  dealers  who  have  written  or  phoned  the  office 
giving  in  their  order  without  recent  solicitation.  These  dealers 
are  all  very  particular  as  to  quality,  yet  I  have  made  them  know 


286  SELLINGLUMBER 

that  I  appreciate  exactly  their  requirements  and  they  are  confident 
that  the  order  will  be  filled  on  that  basis.  In  other  words,  the 
training  has  given  me  more  orders,  and  from  a  higher  class  of 
trade,  than  I  otherwise  could  have  gotten.  I  will  admit  that  the 
training  was  expensive,  that  it  took  valuable  time  and  that  it  might 
not  be  practicable  for  every  salesman  to  take  it;  but  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  the  first  year  I  was  on  the  road  among  four  salesmen, 
my  gross  profit  per  car  was  the  highest,  that  I  had  not  a  single 
complaint,  claim  or  rejection,  and  that  every  account  was  a  highly 
desirable  one,  it  seems  apparent  that  my  training  had  a  very  real 
value. 


Efficiency  and  the  Lumber 
;,/;,    Salesman      /^";,- 

By  R.  J.  Tolson 

Auditor,  William  Cameron  &  Company,  Inc. 
Waco,  Texas 

You  have  all  heard  the  oft'  repeated  saying  that  "Poets  are 
born,  not  made."  I  am  somewhat  of  a  believer  in  that  theory, 
but  I  wish  to  qualify  the  statement  by  saying  that  even  though 
a  man  be  "born"  a  poet  he  will  never  be  able  to  show  his  talent 
or  genius  until  he  has  cultivated  the  finer  qualities  of  his  mind 
and  soul  by  education,  study  and  thought. 

You  have   also,  no  doubt,  heard  the   remark  that  "Salesmen 

are  born,   not   made."     To  some  extent  I   believe  that  statement 

is  also  true.    There  are  certain,  almost  undefinable,  inherent  quali- 

Natural        ties   of   mind   which   we   know   as   "personality"   that   a   salesman 

Talents        mUst  be  born  with.     If  he  lacks  these  inherent  qualities  he  will 

Cultivated.  ^e  seriously  handicapped  in  ever   reaching  the  hundred  per  cent 

mark  of  efficiency  as  a  traveling  salesman.     But  on  the  other  hand, 

even  though  he  be  born  with  this  essential  quality  it  will  never 

be  of  any  value  to  him  unless  it  is   cultivated  and  developed  by 

experience,  education,  work,  thought  and  study. 

This  enviable  and  most  essential  quality  for  a  traveling  sales- 
man can  be  forcibly  illustrated  by  comparing  it  with  musical  talent 
or  genius,  for  I  believe  that  musicians,  like  poets  and  traveling 


SELLINGLUMBER  287 

salesmen,  are  also  "born,  not  made,"  unless  a  person  is  born  with 
some  inherent  talent,  ear  or  love  for  music  all  the  training  and 
practice  of  a  lifetime  will  not  make  a  musician  out  of  him.  He 
might  eventually  learn  the  theory  and  technique  of  music,  but  he 
would  never  develop  that  power  of  inspiration  and  expression  to 
touch  the  hearts  and  souls  of  men  like  the  musician  who  is  "born" 
can  do.  But  if  he  possesses  an  inherited  love  or  ear  for  music  his 
talent  may  be  quickly  developed  by  practice,  cultivation  and  edu- 
cation. 

You  have  all  seen  the  "unmusical  salesman,"  the  man  with- 
out the  talent,   whose  voice  was  mechanical  and  without  expres- 
sion, who  tired  you  to  listen  to,  like  the  electric  piano  player;  you    Some 
have   heard   his   arguments,   his   presentation   or   rendition   of   his 
subject,   technical,   listless,    lacking   in   inspiration,   void   of   enthu-    Born. 
siasm,  and  you  have  seen  him  fail — fail  to  reach  or  hold  the  atten- 
tion of  his  customer,  fail  to  obtain  the  business!     This  salesman 
was  not  well  born. 

You  have  also  seen  the  "musical  salesman,"  the  man  with 
the  "voice  with  a  smile,"  magnetic  in  his  personality,  whose  en- 
trance into  the  place  of  business  of  his  customer  is  greeted  with 
the  applause  of  welcome.  You  have  seen  his  "approach"  to  the 
center ;  easy,  graceful,  confident.  You  have  heard  him  render  or 
present  his  subject,  gently,  softly  at  first,  then  with  fine  expres- 
sion, modulated  to  the  theme,  his  voice  commanding  rapt  atten- 
tion as  he  reaches  the  strong,  full-voiced,  well-rounded  climax  of 
'inspiration,  which  brought  forth  showers  of  applause  in  orders 
from  his  admiring  patrons.  You  have  seen  also,  the  hearty  "en- 
core," the  "call  back"  which  his  patrons  bestowed  upon  him; 
and  you  have  seen  them  wait  for  him,  they  look  forward  to  his 
coming  because  talent  is  always  sought  after  and  will  command 
a  "full  house,"  be  it  with  musicians  or  be  it  with  traveling  sales- 
men. A  salesman  like  this  is  well  born — or  to  use  the  common 
expression  "He's  a  natural  born  traveling  salesman."  Heretofore 
it  has  been  an  entirely  too  easy  a  matter  to  be  born  a  traveling 
salesman.  To  be  well  born  requires  time.  All  things  with  life, 
both  animal  and  vegetable,  require  a  proper  time  for  the  germ 
or  seed  to  evolve  into  the  living  organism,  and  it  is  very  neces- 
sary that  the  proper  or  most  favorable  conditions  shall  exist  for 
this  seed  or  germ  to  develop  to  a  perfect  specimen  of  its  species, 
otherwise  it  will  die  before  being  born,  or  being  born,  will  be  a 
weakling. 


288  SELLINGLUMBER 

All  seeds  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  require  from  a  few  days 
to  a  year's  time  to  burst  forth  into  life.  The  same  is  true  of 
the  animal  kingdom,  and  I  have  heard  it  said  that  it  requires  al- 
most a  year  for  an  ordinary  man  to  be  born. 

Man  is  the  slowest  being  in  the  world  to  develop  into  full 
maturity.  You  can  tell  something  about  your  dog  within  a  few 
months  after  it  is  born.  You  may  accurately  judge  the  point  of 
merit  of  your  horse  in  a  couple  of  years,  but  it  requires  at  least 
twenty-five  years  or  more  to  determine  with  any  degree  of  ac- 
curacy what  kind  of  a  man  a  man  is,  and  you've  got  to  be  an  ex- 
pert in  judging  human  character  to  do  that.  But,  regardless  of 
these  facts — I  have  actually  known  traveling  salesmen  to  be  "born 
over  night."  I  have  known  men  to  lose  their  jobs  on  a  farm,  or 
railroad,  or  some  other  place  one  day,  and  for  the  idea  that  they 
would  like  a  traveling  job  to  take  root  in  their  fertile  brains  the 
next  day,  and  on  the  third  day  they  would  burst  forth  as  a  full 
fledged  "Knight  of  the  Grip,"  equipped  with  hand  satchel,  order 
book,  cigars,  brass  and  everything  except  experience  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  business.  These  fellows  who  are  "born  one  night" 
seldom  succeed  in  anything  except  in  causing  grief  to  the  firm 
they  represent;  but  they  are  fast  passing  away,  and  the  time  has 
now  come  when  prudent  business  concerns  will  require  "natural 
born  salesmen"  to  prove  their  "birthrights"  and  show  up  their 
"pedigrees." 

The  genealogy  of  a  well  born  traveling  salesman  should  dis- 
close a  long  list  of  noble  ancestors.  He  should  be  born  of  Labor 
and  Health,  and  should  be  lineally  descended  from  Intelligence, 
Knowledge,  Honesty,  Courtesy,  Neatness,  Confidence,  Loyalty,  En- 
thusiasm, Self-Control,  Economy,  Industry,  Co-Operation,  Tact, 
Judgment  and  many  other  time-honored  sires,  and  should  possess  by 
inheritance  all  the  virtues  of  his  forefathers ;  therefore,  if  you  can 
conscientiously  claim  relationship  with  each  of  these,  you  are 
"born  to  the  purple,"  and  you  may  be  justly  proud  of  the  honor 
of  being  a  traveling  lumber  salesman.  If  you  cannot  claim  kin 
with  these  honored  sires  you  had  best  be  "born  again"  into  some 
other  vocation,  so  you  can  start  life  anew  in  some  more  fruitful 
field. 

So  much  for  being  well  born,  and  I  assume  that  all  of  you 
are  well  born.  Such  being  the  case,  your  schooling  and  training 
should  next  be  considered.  I  am  informed  that  you  are  assem- 
bled for  that  purpose. 


SELLING    LUMBER  ^289 


When    a    child    enters    school   he    is    examined   to    determine 
his  mental  efficiency  or  deficiency  and  is  graded  according  to  the 
degree  of  intelligence  and  knowledge  he  possesses,  and  he  is  given 
a  card  which  discloses  his  percentage  of  efficiency  in  his  various    Good  Sales- 
studies.     The  main  difference  between  this   "school  of  salesman-    men  Should 
ship"  and  the  ordinary  school  is  that  we  have  only  two  subjects    Lumbermen 
for  study,  viz:     "Yellow  Pine  Lumber"  and  "Salesmanship."     But 
to  master  these  two  great  subjects  we  will  have  to  acquire  a  vast 
amount  of  collateral  and  specific  knowledge,  as  well  as  many  of 
the  personal  and  business  virtues  which  contribute  to  success.     To 
be  a  first  class  lumber  salesman  you  should  also  be  a  first  class 
lumberman. 

To  be  a  first  class  lumberman  is  to  be  a  broad  guaged  man 
who  is  closely  identified  with  the  progress  and  development  of  his 
community  or  state.  The  lumber  business,  in  fact,  can  almost  be 
said  to  be  the  pulse-  of  commercial  industry,  as  it  indicates  the 
ebb  and  flow  of  prosperity  and  depression  quicker  than  any  other 
mercantile  or  manufacturing  pursuit. 

A  thoroughly  first  class  lumberman  knows  the  lumber  busi- 
ness from  A  to  Z.     He  knows  the  history  of  his  product  in  its 
natural  state,  the  method  of  manufacture,  the  various  classifica- 
tions, grades,  brands,  etc.,  and  should  know  the  various  purposes  '      „„. 
for  which  certain  kinds  or  grades  are  best  suited.     He  should  also    Class 
know   the   commercial   game   in    all    its    relations    to   competition, 
finance,  credits,  investment,  supply  and  demand  and  the  general 
conditions   which  effect  the  prosperity  of   the  country  and  busi- 
ness and   he  should  have  judgment,   intelligence  and   industry  in 
order  to  know  how  to  play  the  game  to  win. 

But  it  has  not  always  been  thus;  as  the  centenarian  would 
say,  "Times  has  changed."  The  good  old  days  of  our  forefath- 
ers when  a  retail  lumberman  could  sit  in  a  chair  at  the  front  of 
his  office  and  get  all  the  business  he  wanted,  or  the  business  of 
a  sawmill  wras  limited  only  by  the  capacity  or  its  output  have 
passed  into  sweet  memories.  In  those  days  a  "board  was  a  board." 
Nos.  3  and  4  went  to  the  slab  pit  and  No.  2  was  in  disfavor.  The 
present  day  standard  specifications  would  then  have  been  looked 
upon  as  the  height  of  ridiculousness,  and  to  have  spoken  to  anyone 
about  "density  rules,"  "structural  strength"  and  other  modern  classi- 
fications would  have  sounded  like  Greek  to  the  old  time  lumber- 
man. 


290  SELLING     LUMBER 

Likewise,  the  traveling  "lumber  drummer"  of  those  palmy 
days  was  a  genial,  easy  going  gentleman  whose  chief  claim  to 
efficiency  was  his  ability  to  write  the  orders  down,  tell  funny 
stories  and  dispense  cigars  to  his  admiring  customers.  He  was 
an  "order  taker,"  nothing  more  was  necessary.  "Salesmen,"  ac- 
cording to  our  present  standards  were  then  unknown. 

To  be  a  thoroughly  first  class  lumber  salesman  of  the  pres- 
ent day  requires,   first,  that  he  should  be  a  lumberman,  and  by 
that  I  mean  he   should  possess   practically   all   the  knowledge  of 
the  lumber  manufacturer   and   the   lumber   dealer;   and   secondly, 
The  "Order   ^e   snou^  possess   certain   fine   qualities   of   intelligence   and  per- 
Taker"  Has   sonality   which   are  not   strictly   essential   to  the  manufacture   but 
Salesmana       which  are  used  by  the  retailer  under  modified  or  different  condi- 
tions.    These  qualities  of  intelligence  and  personality   I  will  dis- 
cuss later,  in  one  division  of  the  twenty-three  essentials  of  a  thor- 
oughly efficient  lumber  salesman. 

If  all  that  I  have  this  far  said  be  true,  you  can  readily  see 
that  there  has  been  a  marked  change,  a  tremendous  evolution  in 
the  lumber  business  during  the  past  few  years,  and  with  this  change 
the  lumber  peddler  or  drummer  has  evolved  from  an  "order  taker" 
to  a  salesman;  and  you  will  also  note  that  it  involves  much  more 
"labor"  and;  knowledge  of  lumber  eugenics  to  be  "born"  a  lum- 
ber salesman  in  these  days  of  scientific  advancement  than  it  did 
when  a  salesman  could  be  "conceived"  with  an  idea  and  be  "born" 
in  one  night. 

The  causes  which  have  led  to  this  tremendous  evolution,  or,  I 
should  perhaps  say,  revolution  in  the  lumber  business,  are  too  com- 
plex to  discuss  within  the  limit  of  this  address,  suffice  to  say  what- 
ever the  causes  have  been  they  were  drastic  and  far-reaching  and 
resulted  in  very  serious  financial  losses  to  all  lumber  concerns 
which  were  unprepared.  The  result  is,  however,  we  are  now  fac- 
ing entirely  new  conditions,  new  problems  confront  us  both  in 
the  manufacture  and  sale  of  our  product;  the  margins  of  profit 
have  been  reduced,  the  costs  of  manufacture  increased,  vigorous 
and  aggressive  competition  has  developed  not  only  among  lumber- 
men, but  between  lumbermen  and  the  producers  of  many  substi- 
tute lines  of  material,  all  of  which  has  necessitated  a  complete 
change  from  the  old  time  tactics  of  doing  business  and  the  adop- 
tion of  new,  scientific  and  modern  methods  of  meeting  these  ex- 
traordinary conditions  with  which  we  are  confronted. 


SELLING    LUMBER 


291 


These  changes  necessitated  the  most  rigid  analysis  of  the 
lumber  industry  which  brought  out  the  fact  that  yellow  pine  lum- 
bermen were  confronted  with  the  heretofore  almost  unbelievable 
fact  that  competitive  lines  of  building  materials  were  making  large 
inroads  into  the  domain  of  yellow  pine  which  threatened  the  very 
life  of  our  business.  These  facts  thoroughly  impregnated  the 
minds  of  the  lumbermen  of  the  country,  and  then  it  was  that  effi- 
ciency was  born  into  the  lumber  industry. 

I  am  sure  that  you  have  heard  of  efficiency,  that  giant  child, 
that  prodigy  of  the  modern  business  world.  Some  of  you,  no 
doubt,  have  seen  it ;  others  among  you  have  perhaps  played  with 
it ;  some  of  you,  I  expect,  have  even  nursed  it,  and  some  few  of 
you,  no  doubt,  claim  it  as  your  own. 

Efficiency  in  the  lumber  business  is  still  in  its  infancy,  but 
it  is  growing  stronger  day  by  day,  and  henceforth,  to  all  progres- 
sive lumbermen,  efficiency  be  the  mascot  of  success. 

With  the  advent  of  efficiency  "the  old  order  changeth"  with 
both  methods  and  men.  Old  ideas  have  given  place  to  new,  and 
business  is  conducted  on  a  higher  plane  of  intelligence  than  ever 
before.  This  fact  has  created  a  demand  for  "brains  and  ideas" 
which  m  the  lumber  business  was  considered  almost  unnecessary 
until  recent  years.  The  market  price  of  intelligence  has  thus 
been  increasing  steadily.  There  is  an  ever  increasing  demand 
for  "specialized  knowledge,"  and  specialized  knowledge  or  intelli- 
gence is  nothing  more  or  less  than  an  element  of  efficiency.  This 
is  not  only  true  with  every  line  of  industry,  but  it  is  especially  true 
with  the  lumber  business,  and  realizing  the  fact,  we  have  assem- 
bled here  on  the  occasion  to  determine  the  best  methods  of  meet- 
ing these  changed  conditions  and  to  measure  the  amount  and  qual- 
ity of  our  efficiency  as  lumber  salesmen.  This  brings  us  to  the 
point. 

WHAT  PER  CENT  ARE  YOU  EFFICIENT  AS  LUMBER 
SALESMEN? 

Right  here  let  me  say  that  perfect  efficiency  does  not  require 
you  to  possess  all  the  knowledge  of  the  world,  but  to  be  100  per 
cent  efficient  as  a  lumber  salesman  does  require  you  to  know  every- 
thing there  is  to  be  known  pertaining  to  the  lumber  industry,  and 
to  also  possess  a  number  of  personal  qualifications  which  are  es- 
sential to  enable  you  to  obtain  the  best  result  from  the  use  of 
your  fund  of  knowledge.  Efficiency,  therefore,  is  a  complex  qual- 
ity of  mind.  It  is  a  blending  of  knowledge  of  some  specific  voca- 


Competition 
of  Substitutes 
Forced  a 
Change. 


The  Infant 
"Efficiency" 

Appears. 


The  Meaning 
of  Perfect 
Efficiency. 


292  SELLING    LUMBER 

tion  or  line  of  business  with  wisdom  or  trained  intelligence.  A 
man  may  have  all  the  knowledge  of  the  world  and  not  know  how 
to  use  it  unless  he  also  has  wisdom,  as,  for  instance,  a  man  may 
have  all  the  wealth  in  the  world  and  unless  he  has  wisdom  or  in- 
telligence he  would  not  know  how  to  use  it  or  get  the  best  result 
therefrom.  Wisdom  or  intelligence,  therefore,  is  the  executive 
function  or  element  of  efficiency,  which  directs  or  teaches  you  how 
to  best  use  your  fund  of  knowledge.  You  must  therefore  have 
a  large  fund  of  knowledge  of  the  business  which  you  follow,  as 
well  as  wisdom  or  intelligence,  in  order  to  be  perfectly  efficient. 
You  must  also  have  health,  and  you  must  have  energy  or  indus- 
try. There  are  really  four  cardinal  sub-divisions  of  the  elements 
of  efficiency,  which  can  be  briefly  enumerated  as  ''Health,"  "Knowl- 
edge," "Wisdom"  and  "Energy."  Each  of  these  elements  of  effi- 
ciency may  be  further  sub-divided  by  various  essentials  under 
these  respective  sub-divisions  except  health.  Health  is  the  prime 
essential,  a  class  in  itself,  necessary  to  all. 

Furthermore,  perfect  efficiency  does  not  mean  that  you  should 
be  a  graduate  of  Yale  or  Harvard.  It  does  not  mean  that  you 
should  have  the  technical  knowledge  of  an  Edison  or  a  Wright, 
neither  does  it  mean  that  you  should  be  a  Napoleon  or  Lincoln 
or  Shakespeare.  These  men  were  all  no  doubt  very  efficient  in 
their  respective  vocations,  but  none  of  them  were  absolutely  100 
per  cent  efficient  in  everything.  Had  Napoleon  been  100  per  cent 
efficient  as  a  general  or  emperor  he  would  have  never  been  de- 
feated at  Waterloo,  and  had  Edison  or  Wright  been  100  per  cent 
efficient  in  their  respective  vocations  they  would  not  have  left  any- 
thing undiscovered  in  the  electrical  or  aerial  sciences. 

If  only  one  man  out  of  each  profession  or  vocation  in  the 
world  was   100  per  cent  efficient  and   would  give  the  world  the 
No  Man  100      benefit  of  his  discoveries,  his  work  and  accomplishments,  the  mil- 
Efficient  in        lenium  would  then  be  here,  for  all  good  would  have  been  discov- 
All  Things.        erec|  an(j  foe  world  could  progress  no  longer. 

Therefore,  it  is  safe  to  say  no  man  has  ever  yei  been  100 
per  cent  efficient,  and  I  doubt  very  much  if  any  man  will  ever  be 
until  the  end  of  time.  And  for  us  poor  devils  who  are  toiling, 
striving  onward,  upward  to  be  efficient,  there  may  be  some  com- 
fort in  the  thought  if  we  never  reach  the  100  per  cent  mark,  we 
can  feel  sure  that  no  one  else  has  ever  reached  that  goal  before  us. 
With  the  foregoing  thoughts  for  your  consideration,  let  us 
now  proceed  to  the  task  of  determining  the  various  essential  quali- 


SELLING    LUMBER  293 

fications  for  a  100  per  cent  efficient  lumber  salesman,  and  after 
we  have  enumerated  these  essentials,  let  us  then  grade  ourselves 
according  to  the  measure  of  our  merit  and  see  whether  or  not 
we  are  worthy  of  the  name. 

In  my  humble  judgment  there  are  at  least  twenty-three  essen- 
tial qualifications  which  go  to  make  up  a  first  class  "A  Grade" 
lumber  salesman.  To  be  100  per  cent  perfect  you  must  be  abso- 
lutely free  from  all  defects  known  in  the  "standard  specification" 
for  the  grading  of  a  perfect  lumber  salesman.  If  you  have  got 
any  rotten  knots,  blue  sap  stains,  pitch  streaks,  coarse  grain,  soft 
pitch,  wane  or  rotten  red  heart  in  your  character  you  will  never 
be  put  in  the  100  per  cent  "A  Grade."  Furthermore,  you  must 
be  thoroughly  kiln-dried  with  experience  to  make  a  good  "finish" 
article. 

According  to  my  judgment  the  standard  specification  for  an 
efficient  lumber  salesman  are  printed  on  the  larger  placard  or 
hanger  which  you  see  hanging  here  on  the  stage.  You  will  also 
find  these  specifications,  or  essentials  as  I  will  call  them,  printed 
in  the  small  grading  cards  which  have  been  distrbuted  among  you, 
and  while  I  enumerate  them,  it  might  be  interesting  to  you  to  follow 
the  various  subjects  and  grade  yourself  on  the  card  by  taking 
credit  for  your  estimated  percentage  of  efficiency  in  each  essen- 
tial, as  I  read  them.  Of  course,  I  want  it  understood  beforehand 
that  I  am  not  going  to  be  the  "official  grader."  You  must  grade 
yourselves,  as  I  don't  want  to  be  held  responsible  for  "Kicks'' 
or  "Claims"  for  "Undergrade,"  "Mismatched,"  "Short  Length," 
"Blue  Sap,"  "Rotten"  or  "Faulty  Manufacture,"  but  there  is  one 
rule  I  must  ask  that  you  follow  in  grading  yourself,  and  that  rule  is 
the  "Rule  of  Honesty,"  for  you  cannot  hope  or  expect  to  know 
your  "defects"  as  a  lumber  salesman  unless  you  are  strictly  hon- 
est with  yourself. 

I  will  now  take  up  the  essentials  in  the  order  in  which  they 
are  printed  on  the  chart.  After  making  a  brief  analysis  of  each 
essential  you  may  then  record  the  percentage  of  efficiency  you  are 
entitled  to  opposite  each  in  the  percentage  column,  after  which 
add  your  various  percentage  and  divide  the  total  by  23.  The  an- 
swer will  be  your  percentage  of  efficiency  as  a  lumber  salesman. 

i.     Health. 

The  first  on  -the  list  is  health.  If  your  health  is  perfect  you 
are  entitled  to  100  per  cent  in  the  percentage  column  opposite 


294 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The 

Importance 
of  Good 
Health 


The  Motive 
Power  That 
Moves  Us 


Wlhat  Do 
You  Know 
of  the  Wood, 
Yellow  Pine? 


How  About 
Competitive 
Woods? 


"Health."  I  do  not  know  of  any  vocation  in  which  health  is  so 
vitally  essential  as  that  of  the  traveling  salesman.  Unless  you  are 
feeling  good  you  are  working  under  a  most  serious  handicap. 
Good  health  is  essential  to  a  cheerful  disposition,  it  is  a  stimu- 
lus to  enthusiasm,  it  is  the  fountain,  source  of  energy  and  indus- 
try, and  you  all  know  how  important  these  things  are  to  a  travel- 
ing salesman.  Beside  this,  no  man  can  have  the  best  use  of  his 
mental  faculties  unless  he  has  good  health.  Unless  you  have  good 
health  you  are  sure  to  have  a  "grouch,"  business  will  be  "on  the 
bum,"  and  you  will  likely  blame  your  customers,  your  goods  or 
your  house  for  losing  the  business,  instead  of  blaming  yourself. 

Is  your,  health  100  per  cent  perfect? 

2.     Energy  or  Industry. 

Energy  or  industry  is  the  antithesis  of  laziness,  it  is  the  mo- 
tive power  which  keeps  us  moving. 

It  is  the  faculty  which  makes  us  forget  time  and  distance  and 
fatigue  and  .sleep.  It  is  the  power  which  runs  the  machinery  of 
our  brain  and  converts  our  ideas  or  raw  material  into  the  finished 
products,  or  results.  Industry  is  ambitious,  is  never  satisfied, 
it  works  overtime  and  is  the  tutor  of  Genius.  What  is  your  per- 
centage in  energy  and  industry? 

j.  Knowledge  of  Yellow  Pine  as  a  Wood. 
Do  you  know  the  various  kinds  of  yellow  pine,  and  where 
they  grow,  and  the  difference  in  quality,  density,  strength,  weight 
and  specific  values  of  each?  Do  you  know  the  difference  between 
long  and  short  leaf,  loblolly,  old  field,  coarse  and  smooth  grain 
and  the  various  other  distinctions  in  the  wood  and  the  causes  of 
such  differences?  Do  you  know  the  merits,  usages  and  limita- 
tions of  Yellow  Pine  as  a  wood,  and  know  wherein  that  certain 
classes  of  the  woods  are  suitable  for  certain  purposes  and  for  other 
purposes  they  are  totally  unfit?  Do  you  know  the  probable  visible 
world's  supply  of  Yellow  Pine,  and  where  it  is  located?  What 
percentage  of  knowledge  do  you  possess  on  these  questions? 

4.  Knowledge  of  Other  Competitive  Woods. 
What  do  you  know  about  other  woods  which  come  actively 
in  competition  with  Yellow  Pine?  Do  you  know  the  merits  and 
limitations  of  these  other  woods  as 'compared  with  Yellow  Pine? 
Do  you  know  what  these  other  woods  are,  where  they  grow,  what 
they  are  best  suited  for,  and  what  they  are  worth  on  the  market 


SELLINGLUMBER  295 

in  your  territory?  In  other  words,  what  do  you  know  about 
cypress,  fir,  spruce,  red  cedar  and  white  pine?  And  do  you  know 
anything  about  those  hardwoods  which  are  coming  into  competi- 
tion with  Yellow  Pine,  such  as  birch,  maple,  poplar,  oak  and  gum? 
What  per  cent  are  you  efficient  in  your  knowledge  of  the  merit 
and  limitations  of  these  woods? 

5.     Knowledge   of  Other  Building  Materials. 
Do  you  know  what  are  the  principal  kinds  of  material  which 
are  in  active  competition  with  Yellow  Pine  for  building  purposes? 
And  do  you  know  the  merits  and  limitations  of  these  materials 
as  compared  with  Yellow  Pine  ?    Do  you  know  anything  about  the 
structural  strength  of  iron  and  steel  and  wherein  this  product  is    Do  You 
better  or  inferior  to  Yellow  Pine?    And  do  you  know  the  differ-    Know  the 
ence  in  costs  when  used  for  certain  purposes?    Do  you  know  any-    ValueTand 
thing  about  cement,   and  brick,   and   stone,   and  tile,  and  plaster,    Cost  of 
and   wall  coverings,   prepared  or  patent  roofings,   and  other  ma- 
terials which  are  used  as  substitutes  or  as  curtailments  of  the  use 
of  Yellow  Pine?    Do  you  know  the  price  of  these  articles  in  your 
territory,  their  value  and  limitations  as  competitive  products  ?    What 
is  the  percentage  of  your  knowledge  on  this  subject? 

6.     Knowledge  of  the  Methods  and  Cost  of  Manufacture. 

Do  you  know  how  lumber  is  manufactured?     Do  you  know 
the  evolution  of  the  log  from  the  time  it  leaves  the  forest  until 
it  reaches  the  finished  product  ready  for  shipment?    Do  you  know 
how  many  separate  operations  are  required  to  convert  a  log  into 
boards  or  dimension  or  finish?     Have  you  any  idea  of  the  cost 
of   each  separate  operation,  and  why  it  costs  more  to  manufac- 
ture one  kind  or  dimension  of  lumber  than  another,  and  how  the 
cost  is  distributed  to  the  several  grades?     Do  you  know  why  one    what  Do 
length   is   worth  more  or  less   than  another  length   of   the  same    You  Know 
dimension  ?    Do  you  know  anything  about  the  percentage  of  grades    Manufacture 
which  an  average  bunch  of  logs  will  develop  in  manufacture,  and    of  Lumber? 
the  basis  or  rule  by  which  the  cost  of  one  kind  of  Yellow  Pine 
lumber  is  placed  at  a  higher  price  than  another?     Do  you  know 
anything,  about   special   cuttings   in   the   manufacture   of   lumber, 
why  it  costs  more  to  fill  an  order  for  special  cuttings  and  how  to 
figure   that   additional   cost?     Do    you    know    the    several    com- 
ponent parts  of  the  cost  of  Yellow  Pine  lumber,  the  stumpage, 
the  logging,  the  hauling,  the  sawmill,  the  trucking,  stacking,  dry- 
ing, planer  and  loading,  as  well  as  the  overhead  or  fixed  cost  which 


296  SELLING    LUMBER 

are  all  a  part  of  its  value?  If  you  know  all  these  things  you  are 
entitled  to  100  per  cent  on  manufacture,  if  not  you  will  grade 
yourself  according  to  your  knowledge. 

7.     Knowledge  of  Grading  Rules. 

Have  you  ever  sold  a  bill  of  lumber  and  sometime  later,  when 
you  called  on  your  customer,  he  would  tell  you  that  was  the  "bum- 
mest  lot  of  stuff  he  ever  saw,"  and  that  it  was  not  near  up  to  grade, 
and  that  he  wanted  you  to  step  out  and  see  it  andtpass  on  the 
grades?  I  am  sure  you  have.  Were  you  then  prepared  to  show 
him  that  he  was  absolutely  wrong,  and  to  point  out  the  fact  that 
it  was  in  reality  above  grade  instead  of  under  grade?  Could  you 
quote  the  grading  rules  to  him  from  memory  and  show  him  by  the 
inspection  of  each  stick  or  board  that  it  was  up  to  grade  and  that 
your  firm  or  mill  did  not  rob  him?  In  fact,  do  you  actually  know 
YoiTiri  a^  a^out  knots,  their  size,  form  and  quality  and  how  many  differ- 
Arguments  ent  kinds  there  are?  Do  you  know  all  about  pitch,  and  sap,  and 
Grades?  wane>  and  stains,  and  checks,  splits,  grains,  etc.,  and  how  many 
of  each  of  these  defects  are  allowable  in  each  grade  and  kind 
of  Yellow  Pine  lumber  according  to  the  length  of  the  piece?  If 
you  can  tell  each  of  these  things  you  are  entitled  to  100  per  cent, 
and  should  get  a  special  prize  for  efficiency  besides.  In  grading 
yourself  on  the  grading  rule  you  must  grade  yourself  by  the  rules 
and  not  by  appearances  of  the  lumber.  You  can  probably  make 
a  correct  guess  as  to  the  proper  grade  of  a  piece  of  lumber  by 
appearances,  but  we  cannot  always  tell  the  grade  of  efficiency 
of  a  lumberman  by  appearances.  What  per  cent  are  you  effi- 
cient in  the  knowledge  of  grades? 

8.     Market   Conditions,   Prices,   Etc. 

The   lumber   salesman   should    not   only   know   the   prices   of 
every  item  on  his  list  of  standard  cutting  at  the  mills  ready  for 
shipment,  but  he  should  be  able  to  quote  promptly,  without  referring 
to  his  price  guide  and  figuring  several  minutes,  the  prices  of  any 
kind  of  Yellow  Pine  lumber  that  his  mill  or  firm  will  manufacture. 
Efficiency  As  before  stated,  he  should  be  as  familiar  with  the  price  or  cost 
in  Price      of  special  cuttings  as  he  is  with  ordinary  stock  stuff.     He  should 
yu<    ng      ajsQ  keep  .^  c|QSe  touch  with  the  capacity  of  his  mills  for  certain 
kinds  of  cuttings  and  grades  and  shipments,  and  should  know  at 
all  times  the  quantities  of  each  kind  of  stock  on  hand,  by  a  close 
study  of  the  stock  sheets,  in  order  that  he  may  be  able  to  co-oper- 
ate with  the  sales  manager  or  mill  in  moving  surplus  stock  or  in 


SELLING     LUMBER 


297 


pushing  those  items  which  are  most  profitable  as  well  as  to  avoid 
the  mistake  of  overselling  or  promising  shipment  on  something 
which  cannot  be  gotten  out  in  a  reasonable  time.  The  traveling 
salesman  should  also  be  a  student  of  the  lumber  market  in  its 
broadest  sense.  He  should  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  every  con- 
dition which  has  affected  or  which  might  affect  the  market,  and 
he  should  be  prepared  to  answer  any  question  correctly  and  in- 
telligently as  to  the  cause  of  any  market  fluctuation  in  the  price 
of  lumber.  He  should  be  able  to  perceive  the  economic  relation- 
ship between  prosperity  and  the  lumber  business,  and  to  be  able 
to  discern  the  cause  of  the  prosperity  and  its  stability.  He  should 
also  be  able  to  forecast  the  probable  eras  of  business  depression 
so  that  he  may  protect  his  firm  from  the  evils  of  overselling  to" 
financially  weik  concerns.  Are  you  efficient  in  these  things,  if 
so,  what  per  cent? 

p.     Traffic,  Rate  and  Transportation. 

The  lumber  salesman  should  be  somewhat  of  a  traffic  man. 
He  should  be  perfectly  familiar  with  the  cost  of  delivery  of  any 
kind  of  lumber  to  any  given  point  in  his  territory.  To  do  this  he 
must  know  the  freight  rate  and  the  weight  of  each  class  of  Yel- 
low Pine  lumber.  He  should  know  the  approximate  number  of 
feet  required  to  make  up  a  minimum  or  maximum  car  of  any  one 
kind  of  lumber,  and  the  same  if  in  mixed  cars.  He  should  also 
be  familiar  with  the  best  routing  from  his  mill  to  the  customer 
and  be  prepared  to  answer  any  reasonable  question  his  customer 
might  ask,  relative  to  weight,  rate,  transportation,  routing,  etc., 
etc.  In  these  things  what  per  cent  are  you  efficient  ? 

10.     Retail  Merchandising. 

I  believe,  as  a  rule,  lumber  salesmen  fail  to  appreciate  the 
immense  value  of  a  knowledge  of  the  retail  lumber  business,  but 
in  my  judgment  such  knowledge  is  inestimable.  The  more  you 
can  find  out,  learn  or  know  about  the  retail  end  of  the  lumber 
game  the  better  you  will  be  prepared  to  play  your  cards  to  win. 

If  you  sell  direct  to  the  retail  dealer  and  can  show  or  demon- 
strate to  him  that  you  are  familiar  with  the  demands  or  require- 
ments of  the  trade,  that  you  know  about  what  would  constitute 
a  fair  stock  or  assortment  of  the  various  kinds  and  grades  of  ma- 
terial, the  purposes  for  which  they  are  used  and  the  general  meth- 
ods of  conducting  a  retail  lumber  yard,  the  closer  will  be  your 
relationship  with  him.  Under  these  circumstances  your  customer 


The  Salesman 
as  a  Traffic 
Expert 


How  Do 
You  Rank 
as  a 
Retailer? 


298  SELLINGLUMBER 

will  have  more  respect  for  your  business  knowledge,  and  then  it 
will  be  easier  to  obtain  his  confidence. 

If  you  are  familiar  with  the  demands  of  the  local  trade  and 
know  the  usages  for  which  the  several  kinds  of  lumber  are  in- 
tended, you  can  frequently  be  of  considerable  assistance  to  a  retail 
lumberman  in  making  up  his  order,  and  once  you  are  called  upon 
by  him  to  assist  him  in  that,  or  in  any  capacity,  you  have  cemented 
his  friendship  and  have  created  what  we  call  non-competitive  busi- 
ness. 

If  you  show  a  knowledge  and  familiarity  with  the  retail  end 
of  the  business  your  customer  (provided  he  is  the  retail  dealer) 
will  frequently  call  on  you  to  assist  him  in  landing  a  job  in  his 
town  or  community,  which  means  more  business  for  you  as  well  as 
his  yard. 

In  addition  to  having  a  general  knowledge  of  the  retail  lum- 
ber business  in  your  territory  you  should  have  a  specific  knowl- 
edge of  how  each  of  your  customers  conducts  his  particular,  or 
individual,  business.  Of  course  you  must  use  tact  and  use  your 
eyes  and  ears  to  get  this  knowledge  and  information;  if  you  are 
a  good  business  man  as  well  as  a  good  salesman  you  might  some- 
times prefer  not  to  sell  this  particular  customer,  as  loose  meth- 
ods of  conducting  a  retail  lumber  business  are  examples  of  in- 
efficiency, and  inefficiency  is  the  forerunner  of  loss  and  failure. 

Therefore,  what  do  you  know  about  retail  lumber  merchan- 
dising? You  may  grade  yourself  accordingly. 

ii.     Courtesy. 

Courtesy  is  perhaps  the  finest  accomplishment  of  a  human 
being.     It   is  the  badge  of   refinement;   it  signifies   consideration 
for   others;    it   bespeaks    unselfishness;    it    creates    good    will;    it 
Importance    ma^es  friends;  it  makes  business;  it  makes  money;  it  costs  noth- 
of  Courtesy   ing,  but  produces  more  profit  than  all  the  side  lines  in  the  world. 
It  is   a  tremendous   factor   for  success   in  every  business,   and   it 
is  one  of  the  chief  essentials  of  a  lumber  salesman. 
Are  you  courteous?    If  so,  what  per  cent? 

12.     Truthfulness  and  Honesty. 

The  day  has  passed  when  a  man,  firm  or  corporation  could 
be  dishonest  with  his  trade  or  customers  and  still  succeed.  That 
"honesty  is  the  best  policy"  in  business  was  never  more  truth- 
ful than  today. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


299 


One  of  the  biggest  assets  of  success  for  any  traveling  sales- 
man to  possess  is  the  confidence  of  his  customers,  and  there  is 
no  surer  or  better  way  to  obtain  the  confidence  than  by  being 
absolutely  honest  and  truthful  in  your  dealings  with  your  cus- 
tomer. By  being  honest  with  him  is  to  nqver  misrepresent  or 
tell  him  an  untruth,  even  though  you  miss  the  opportunity  of 
selling  a  bill,  and  to  never  take  advantage  of  his  ignorance  or 
inexperience.  If  he  asks  you  if  you  can  ship  a  car  of  a  certain 
kind  of  material  at  once,  and  you  know  it  is  impossible,  the  thing 
to  do  is  to  tell  him  so.  In  other  words,  a  traveling  salesman 
is  jeopardizing  his  business  by  making  any  kind  of  misrepresenta- 
tion or  telling  any  kind  of  untruth  to  get  business.  As  sure  as 
you  do  your  customer  will  find  it  out,  and  you  have  lost  his  con- 
fidence and  his  trade. 

In  addition  to  being  honest  with  your  customers  or  trade, 
are  you  honest  with  your  firm?  Are  you  honest  in  giving  your 
firm  the  full  time  for  which  you  are  paid?  Are  you  honest  in 
your  expense  accounts?  Are  you  honest  or  truthful  in  your 
statements?  If  you  are  not  honest  in  all  these  things,  it  will  not 
be  long  before  there  will  be  a  lumber  salesman  out  of  a  job. 

Are  you  honest  and  truthful  to  your  trade  and  your  firm? 
If  so,  how  honest?  You  may  record  your  per  cent  according  to 
the  dictates  of  your  conscience. 

jj.     Self-Control. 

"Self-control"  is  the  brake  which  our  Creator  has  attached  to 
our  mental  machinery  and  is  intended  for  us  to  apply  or  use  when 
we  find  ourselves  in  danger  of  slipping  down  the  hill  or  over 
the  precipice  into  the  chasms  of  error.  Self-control  is  a  product 
of  civilization,  savages  have  none.  Self-control  is  a  fire  escape 
which  keeps  us  from  being  consumed  by  our  passions.  It  is  the 
safety  valve  which  keeps  our  feelings  from  bursting  into  anger 
or  fury.  Self-control  is  the  stern  guardian  of  our  desires  and 
warns  us  against  our  follies,  and  is  the  vigilant  watchman  who 
warns  us  always  of  the  approaching  danger  with  the  oft  repeated 
words— Think!  Stop!  Look!  Listen! 

Self-control  is  a  power  which  not  only  enables  us  to  con- 
trol ourselves,  but  others ;  without  it  we  would  be  weak ;  with 
self-control  we  are  strong,  and  being  strong  we  will  be  sure  to 
win. 


Are  You 
100  Per  Cent 
Honest? 


Self-Control 
a  Factor  of 
Efficiency 


300  SELLINGLUMBER 

Self-control  is,  therefore,  an  important  factor  in  business, 
an  essential  element  of  personal  efficiency  and  a  promoter  'of 
power  and  success. 

What  per  cent  will  you  grade  in  self-control  ? 

14.     Confidence  in  Self  and  Your  Goods. 
"Faint  heart  never  won   fair  lady,"   is  a  saying  that  can  be 
Be  Confi-  aPPned  to  business.     If  you  have  a   faint  heart,   a  timid  hesita- 
dent,  But   tion,  a  lack  of  confidence  in  yourself  or  the  product  which  you 
Not  Vain   §ej^  vou  wjjj  never  woo  or  win  the  favors  of  the   fair  goddess 
called   Success.      In   order   to   win,   you   must   absolutely   conquer 
fear. 

To  be  a  successful  lumber  salesman  you  must  enthusias- 
tically believe  in  yourself  and  in  the  lumber  you  sell.  By  believ- 
ing in  yourself,  I  do  not  mean  that  you  should  be  egotistical  or 
vain.  Egotism  and  vanity  are  the  virtues  of  fools.  That  "confi- 
dence in  self"  which  the  true  traveling  salesman  should  have  is 
that  confidence  which  is  born  of  ability. 

Lack  of  confidence  is  an  acknowledgement  of  weakness  ;  weak- 
ness has  no  place  in  the  make-up  of  efficiency.  You  must  be- 
lieve in  yourself  and  your  goods,  and  what  you  believe  will  be! 
Have  you  confidence  in  yourself,  and  in  the  product  you  sell? 
If  so,  what  per  cent? 

15.    Loyalty. 

Loyalty  is  a  superb  blending  of  appreciation  and  faith  and 
patriotism,    is  on*,    \i    the    noblest    attributes    of    man.     Loyalty 
Are  You        js  the  tie  which  binu^  friend  to  friend,  man  to  man.     It  is  that 


Your  Firm?  quality  which  soothes  ue  pain  of  sacrifice,  which  make  it  easy 
to  forgive,  which  closes  our  vision  to  the  faults  of  those  who 
have  befriended  us. 

Loyalty  to  your  firm  is  like  patriotism  to  your  country  — 
without  it  you  are  a  traitor.  It  is  that  quality  which  arouses  you 
to  arms  in  defense  of  your  country,  and  likewise  would  cause 
you  to  resent  an  insinuation  against  the  character  of  your  firm 
as  an  insinuation  against  yourself.  Loyalty  is  that  characteris- 
tic which  makes  you  a  part  of  your  firm,  therefore,  it  is  a  splen- 
did essential  in  business  efficiency.  Are  you  loyal?  If  so,  what 
per  cent? 

16.    Personal  Neatness. 

A  man's  personal  appearance  in  any  line  of  business  may 
often  be  the  direct  cause  of  his  success  or  failure  at  the  critical 


SELLING     LUMBER 


301 


moment.  The  world  judges  very  largely  by  appearances,  and  first 
appearances  are  most  lasting.  Therefore  traveling  salesmen  should 
look  well  to  their  personal  appearance  by  being  neat  in  body  and 
in  dress. 

A  well  kept,  systematic,  clean,  orderly  and  attractive  store 
or  establishment  of  any  kind  suggests  thrift,  and  on  the  same  line 
of  suggestion  a  well  groomed,  well  dressed  man  creates  the  idea 
of  thrift,  prosperity  and  success,  and  "Nothing  succeeds  like 
success." 

On  the  other  hand  a  man  who  is  slovenly  in  his  general  ap- 
pearance, with  unshaven  face,  unshined  shoes,  soiled  collar  and 
cuffs,  suggests  laziness,  and  laziness  creates  contempt,  or  disre- 
spect. 

Customers  very  frequently  form  their  ideas  of  a  wholesale 
concern  from  the  appearance,  actions  and  characteristics  of  their 
traveling  representatives.  Therefore,  create  a  good  impression. 
Be  a  credit  to  your  firm  and  let  your  personal  appearance  be  such 
as  to  suggest  thrift,  industry,  prosperity  and  success,  and  it  will 
make  you  more  successful,  therefore  more  efficient. 

What  per  cent  are  you  entitled  to  in  neatness? 
//.     Tact  and  Judgment. 

Tact  and  judgment  are  almost  synonymous  terms  which  de- 
note two  of  the  most  important  mental  faculties  which  a  business 
man  should  possess. 

Judgment  is  the  judge  enthroned  in  the  court  of  our  reason, 
before  whom  we  submit  all  questions  of  doubt  and  expediency. 
Judgment  never  errs  in  his  decision,  yet,  judgment  never  gives 
advice  unless  asked,  because  judgment  is  cautious  and  discreet 

Tact  is  an  attorney  in  the  court  of  our  reason;  shrewd,  art- 
ful, keen,  to  whom  we  refer  our  delicate  and  intricate  problems 
for  adjustment.  But  tact  never  fights  a  case  in  court.  He  arbi- 
trates, and  yet  he  always  wins  or  gains  the  point  desired.  Tact 
never  blunders,  seldom  fails,  is  popular  and  has  no  enemies. 

Without  judgment  and  tact  you  cannot  be  efficient.  What 
is  your  percentage  in  judgment  and  tact? 

18.     Personality,  Address,  Approach. 

We  now  come  to  that  element  of  efficiency  which  we  can 
see  in  others,  but  we  cannot  describe.  That  intangible  something 
which  commands  attention.  That  magnetic  influence  which  makes 
you  look  and  look  again,  and  listen,  and  listen  again.  I  do  not 


The  Value 
of  Personal 
Neatness. 


Tact  and 
Judgme'nt 


The  Right 
Kind  of 
"Personality/ 


302  SELLING    LUMBER 

know  whether  the  quality  is  physical  or  mental  or  both,  but  what- 
ever it  is,  it  is  called  "personality." 

There  are  various  kinds  of  personality,  but  all  are  distinctive 
in  character  or  temperament.  The  kind  that  I  am  speaking  about 
is  the  one  I  have  just  outlined,  the  kind  that  commands  imme- 
diate attention  when  you  walk  into  a  man's  place  of  business, 
the  kind  that  makes  your  customer  greet  you  first,  the  kind  that 
makes  your  customers  feel  that  he  would  like  to  know  you  bet- 
ter and  more  intimately,  the  kind  that  makes  your  customer  glad 
when  you  call  and  sorry  when  you  leave,  the  kind  that  makes 
your  customers  save  their  orders  for  you,  the  kind  that  creates  en- 
thusiasm, good  cheer,  smiles,  and  makes  a  man  forget  his  trou- 
bles. This  is  the  personality  that  wins.  This  is  the  personality 
which  counts  100  per  cent  in  efficiency. 

What  per  cent  have  you? 

/p.     Initiative  and  Originality. 

The  man  who  waits  to  be  told  to  do  everything,  who  works 

by  the  rule  and  clock,  who  never  does  more  or  less  than  the  rou- 

tine duties  prescribed  for  him,  will  never  rise  above  his  present 

position.     Few  men  are  ever  paid   for  anything  more  than  what 

they  earn,  therefore,  the  man  who  is  not  increasing  his  earning 

capacity  is  seldom  increasing  his  earnings.    To  increase  your  earn- 

..  .    .    „    ings   is  to  develop  your  capacity   for   work   and   make   the   work 

Means  bring  results.     This  requires  initiative  and  sometimes  originality. 


Developing  j^e  most  successful  men  in  business  are  generally  the  ones  who 
created  their  own  positions,  that  is,  they  developed  the  jobs  they 
had  from  comparatively  insignificant  to  executive  positions.  The 
man  who  cannot  improve  his  job,  create  new  responsibilities, 
broaden  its  scope,  increase  its  results  and  improve  its  efficiency  is 
not  the  man  modern  business  men  tie  to.  Business  men  of  today 
are  on  the  alert  for  men  with  ideas,  men  with  the  initiative,  men 
with  originality,  men  who  can  develop  the  positions  which  they 
hold  to  the  maximum  of  efficiency. 

This  is  especially  true  with  reference  to  traveling  salesmen. 
Sales  managers  want  salesmen  with  initiative  and  originality.  With- 
out it  you  will  never  progress.  Have  you  got  it?  If  so,  what  per 
cent? 

20.     Economy  and  Profits. 

By  "economy,"  as  it  relates  to  a  traveling  salesman,  I  mean 
the  ability  to  sell  at  the  minimum  costs. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


303 


Some  salesmen  have  enormous  sales,  but  the  cost  of  selling 
is  so  great  that  it  offsets  the  profits.  Other  salesmen  may  only 
sell  one-half  the  quantity  in  a  given  length  of  time  and  yet  the 
net  profit  on  their  sales  may  be  greater  than  the  man  who  holds 
the  record  for  volume.  Volume  is  a  fine  thing  under  certain 
conditions,  which  I  will  enumerate,  but  it  is  all  wrong  unless  it  is 
accompanied  by  profit. 

Profits,  as  made  in  the  wholesale  lumber  business,  may  be 
created  in  two  ways.  First,  by  the  margin  or  difference  between 
the  cost  of  the  lumber  delivered  at  destination  and  the  price  at 
which  it  was  sold.  From  the  profit,  which  is  termed  the  "gross 
profit,"  the  cost  of  selling  the  lumber  must  be  deducted,  which 
leaves  the  net  profit.  If  the  gross  profit  on  a  car  is  only  $20 
and  it  costs  $8  per  car  to  sell  it,  your  net  profit  on  that  car  of 
lumber  is  $12.  Therefore,  if  you  have  a  fixed  market  price  at 
which  you  must  sell  your  product  there  is  only  one  other  way 
you  can  increase  the  profit,  and  that  is  by  decreasing  your  expenses 
or  by  increasing  your  sales  without  increasing  the  expenses.  Thus, 
if  you  sell  sixty  cars  this  month  and  your  expenses  are  $200  for 
the  month,  it  has  cost  $3.33  per  car  to  sell.  But  if  you  can  sell 
120  cars  this  month  without  increasing  your  expense  account,  the 
cost  of  selling  is  only  $1.67  per  car.  But,  if  you  double  your  sales 
from  60  to  120  cars  per  month  and  double  your  expenses  also 
from  $200  to  $400,  your  cost  to  sell  per  car  is  exactly  the  same 
on  60  cars  as  it  was  on  120  cars. 

Therefore  the  efficient  traveling  salesman  watches  his  ex- 
pense account,  he  keeps  in  close  touch  with  his  record  of  cost  to 
sell ;  he  strives  from  month  to  month  to  increase  his  profit,  to 
reduce  his  expenses,  and  to  decrease  his  cost  to  sell  per  car.  Are 
you  efficient  in  this  respect?  If  so,  to  what  extent? 

21.     Knowledge  of  Human  Nature,  Psychology. 

One  of  the  most  superb  mental  qualifications  for  a  traveling 
salesman  to  possess  is  the  ability  to  quickly  judge  human  nature. 

The  faculty  is,  to  a  larger  extent,  intuitive;  or  I  might  bet- 
ter express  it  by  saying  that  the  ability  to  judge  human  nature 
is  a  species  of  psychological  instinct. 

This  is  the  faculty  which  will  tell  you  almost  what  your  cus- 
tomer is  thinking  about  when  you  are  trying  to  convince  him 
that  he  should  give  you  the  order,  and  it  enables  you  to  antici- 
pate his  objections  or  questions  before  he  has  uttered  them.  This 


Economical 
Selling  Means 
Increased 
Profits 


The  Faculty 
of  Judging 
Human 
Nature. 


304  SELLINGLUMBER 

faculty  is  also  the  power  to  determine  the  truth  of  any  statement 
which  might  be  made  by  your  doubtful  customer;  it  tells  you  of 
your  customer's  peculiarities  and  thus  enables  you  to  be  on  your 
guard  and  not  offend.  It  enables  you  to  recognize  honesty  and 
dishonesty,  and  to  determine  the  good  from  the  evil  in  human  na- 
ture. Psychological  power  or  instinct  is  a  mental  detective,  a  sort 
of  "Old  Sleuth"  of  our  brains  which  finds  out  and  tells  us  things 
about  others  in  strange,  mysterious  ways.  It,  like  all  detectives, 
works  secretly,  and  were  it  not  for  the  information  it  sometimes 
gives  us  about  others  we  would  make  serious  mistakes. 

The  power  to  judge  human  nature  can  be  developed  and  cul- 
tivated by  being  observant,  and  watchful  of  all  those  with  whom 
we  come  in  contact  and  it  is  exceedingly  valuable  in  business,  and 
especially  in  the  art  of  salesmanship. 

Do  you  possess  these  qualities  of  mind?  If  so,  what  per  cent? 
22.  Co-operation. 

By  co-operation  I  mean  team  work,  team  work  with  your  sales 
Co-Operation  .  ,  .„  .  ,     J 

Means  manager,  team  work  with  your  mill,  team  work  with  your  cus-- 

Team-Work.     tomers. 

It  is  by  "team  work"  that  we  are  enabled  to  cover  distance, 
to  accomplish  gigantic  tasks,  pull  the  heaviest  loads,  and  by  "team 
work"  we  can  always  make  better  progress  up  the  rugged,  rocky, 
narrow  road  of  success. 

By  team  work — co-operation — the  burden  of  the  "pull  for 
business"  is  more  evenly  distributed,  our  tasks  are  lightened  and 
we  finish  the  day's  work  with  greater  distances  and  greater  re- 
sults, and  with  less  fatigue  than  if  each  pulled  for  himself,  in  as 
many  ways  as  there  were  men. 

The  value  of  team  work,  co-operation,  in  business  is  enor- 
mous, and  when  practiced  by  traveling  salesmen  in  conjunction 
with  all  those  who  are  associated  with  him.  is  a  part  of  efficiency. 

Do  you  practice  team  work?  Do  you  co-operate?  If  so, 
what  per  cent? 

23.     Wisdom. 

We  now  come  to  the  last  of  the  list  of  essentials  for  a  travel- 
Finally,  Are    mg  salesman,  and  probably  the  greatest. 

Salesman?  This  essential  qualification  is  wisdom.     "Wisdom"  might  by 

some  be  confused  with  knowledge  or  with  judgment,  but  wisdom 
is  different. 

Knowledge  is  that  technical  or  specific  information  you  ac- 
quire by  study  or  work  about  a  certain  thing,  trade  or  profession. 


SELLINGLUMBER  305 

Judgment  is  the  ability  to  decide  correctly  between  two  or 
more  paths  which  lead  in  different  directions,  or  the  ability  to 
determine  the  right  from  wrong,  the  good  from  the  bad.  Judg- 
ment, as  before  stated,  is  the  judge  which  presides  in  the  tribunal 
of  our  minds. 

Wisdom  is  still  greater;  wisdom  is  the  guardian  of  all  our 
mental  faculties  and  is  the  tutor  of  knowledge.  Were  it  not  for 
Wisdom,  all  the  knowledge  you  possess  would  be  valueless.  Knowl- 
edge is  something  acquired;  wisdom  is  an  inborn  faculty.  You 
may  teach  a  parrot  to  talk,  but  lacking  wisdom  it  does  not  know 
what  it  says.  Thus,  to  obtain  the  best  results  from  the  knowledge 
you  possess  as  a  traveling  salesman  you  must  have  that  executive 
faculty  called  "wisdom"  to  direct  its  use  and  thereby  obtain  the 
best  results. 

To  be  absolutely  efficient  you  must,  therefore,  have  wisdom. 

Are  you  wise?    If  so,  what  per  cent? 

These  twenty-three  essentials  which  I  have  just  named,  and 
briefly  analyzed,  are.  I  think,  the  necessary  qualifications  for  a 
100  per  cent  efficient  modern  lumber  salesmen.  If  you  have  graded 
yourself  as  I  enumerated  them,  and  have  been  honest  enough 
with  yourself  to  try  and  not  run  in  your  No.  2  qualities  for  No. 
1  and  B  and  Better,  I  am  sure  you  will  not  be  denied  your  legiti- 
mate claims  for  your  true  grade  as  a  traveling  salesman. 


Exploiting  Southern  Yellow 

Pine 

By  W.  H.  Sullivan  f 

Chairman,  Trade  Extension  Committee 

Southern  Pine  Association 

Bogalusa,  La. 

It  is  quite  apparent  that  your  chairman,  Mr.  Kendall,  sug- 
gested and  has  worked  out  a  plan  of  trade  extension  in  getting  you 
all  together  that  in  quick  results  excels  and  exceeds  any  of  our 
Association  efforts  through  the  medium  of  the  Trade  Extension 
Committee.  In  these  days  when  our  great  nation  is  considering 


306 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Meaning 
of  Trade 
Extension 


The  Industry 
Dependent 
on  Sales 
Department 


Boost  Lath, 
Shingles  and 
Box  Shocks 


Preparedness,  a  policy  in  which  we  are  in  full  accord,  one  of  the 
terms  in  daily  use  may  not  be  out  of  place.  On  you,  gentlemen, 
who  represent  our  great  industry  on  the  firing  line,  to  a  very  large 
extent,  depends  its  success.  While  for  years  I  have  regretted  the 
fact  that  it  has  never  been  my  privilege  to  be  a  salesman,  however, 
with  your  permission  I  would  like  to  make  some  suggestions,  that, 
from  the  standpoint  of  trade  extension,  appeal  to  me  as  of  some 
importance. 

Trade  extension  means  confidence  in  your  product,  successful 
operation,  conservation  of  waste,  satisfied  customers,  boosters  in 
your  sales  organization,  new  uses  for  Southern  Pine,  objection  to 
destructive  competition,  happy,  contented  stockholders,  owners  and 
employees. 

Confidence  in  your  product  is  the  first  essential  and  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  what  it  can  be  used  for  to  the  buyer's  advantage 
is  necessary  for  the  successful  salesman,  and  in  order  to  bring  the 
further  use  of  your  product  into  prominence  at  this  time,  I  would 
suggest  that  we  all,  the  salesmen  particularly,  send  up  to  the  secre- 
tary during  the  day  or  not  later  than  tomorrow  the  name  of  some 
important  article  manufactured  in  your  territory  which  in  your 
judgment  might  be  made  out  of  Southern  pine.  These  suggestions 
will  lead  to  a  discussion  that  is  sure  to  be  of  much  value  to  the 
Association. 

The  successful  operation  of  the  Southern  Pine  industry  de- 
pends to  a  very  large  extent  on  the  sales  manager  and  his  assistants 
in  the  field.  If  the  sales  manager  keeps  in  touch  with  the  operat- 
ing end  of  the  business  and  knows  from  time  to  time  just  the  quality 
and  size  of  the  timber  that  is  being  operated  in  and  keeps  his 
assistants  thoroughly  posted  so  they  will  know  the  kind  of  special 
timber  to  sell,  it  would  aid  very  much  in  the  success  of  the  busi- 
ness. 

The  conservation  of  waste  is  one  of  the  most  important  things 
in  connection  with  the  whole  industry.  Your  success  as  well  as 
the  success  of  your  employer  is  involved  in  this.  By  utilization  of 
waste  I  refer  particularly  to  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  lath,  the 
manufacture  and  sale  of  shingles,  and  the  manufacture  and  sale  of 
box  shooks.  Now  perhaps  the  firm  or  company  with  which  some 
of  you  are  connected  does  not  manufacture  any  of  these  articles,  but 
that  should  not  make  any  difference  in  your  boosting  the  sale  o,f 
these  particular  items,  and  you  ought  to  consider  it  one  of  your 
most  important  duties  to  keep  the  Southern  Pine  Association  thor- 


SELLINGLUMBER  307 

oughly  posted  on  the  development  of  trade  in  your  territory.  It  is 
apparent  that  it  -is  so  easy  for  you  when  making  trips  among  your 
customers  to  find  out  whether  they  would  be  interested  in  handling 
Southern  Pine  la^h  or  Southern  Pine  shingles  and  whether  in  any 
town  you  visit  there  is  a  manufacturing  establishment  which  would 
be  interested  in  Southern  Pine  box  snooks.  All  of  these  materials, 
whether  your  company  is  directly  interested  in  manufacturing  them 
or  not,  would  add  to  the  success  of  your  firm,  if  the  trade  in  any 
of  these  particular  lines  was  further  developed ;  and  think  of  the 
reputation  as  an  up-to-date  salesman  a  man  would  have  if  he  was 
continually  writing  his  own  firm  or  by  permission  of  his  sales  man- 
ager, writing  direct  to  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  advising 
them  that  by  a  little  effort  in  his  territory  something  could  be  ac- 
complished in  the  way  of  selling  these  specials  manufactured  from 
Southern  Pine  waste. 

Satisfying  customers  is  one  of  your  particular  duties.  In  my 
experience  I  have  known  quite  a  number  of  salesmen  who  do  a  large 
part  of  their  business  from  the  telephone  booth  in  a  fairly  com- 
fortable hotel.  Now  how  a  salesman  can  satisfy  a  customer  who 
has  a  little  claim,  over  the  telephone,  or  how  he  can  discuss  his 
claim  over  the  telephone,  or  how  he  can  tell  him  about  the  par- 
ticular advantages  of  his  product  over  the  telephone  and  have  it 
effective,  is  more  than  a  good  many  manufacturers  can  under- 
stand. The  reason  that  lumber  companies  employ  salesmen  is  so 
that  through  them  they  can  be  in  close  contact  with  their  customers  Telephone 
and  so  that  any  little  misunderstanding  that  looks  so  big  to  a  cus- 
tomer may,  after  discussion  with  the  representative  of  the  manu- 
facturer, probably  not  seem  anywhere  near  so  large.  Or  perhaps 
it  has  happened  many  times  that  one  of  your  customers  has  had  an 
inquiry  for  some  special  material  when,  if  you  would  discuss  it 
with  him  personally  instead  of  over  the  telephone,  you  would  per- 
haps be  of  some  assistance  in  helping  out  on  the  sale  of  a  bill  of 
lumber  to  advantage  to  the  customer.  Then  you  would  be  creating 
a  good,  substantial  friend  for  your  company.  Of  course,  not  all 
salesmen  do  business  over  the  telephone.  I  am  just  mentioning  the  • 
things  that  have  been  brought  to  my  notice,  and  have  no  reflec- 
tion on  the  splendid  work  which  so  many  of  you  are  doing  all  the 
time. 

Boosters   are   necessary.     The  breezy   air  of  the   booster  is    „,,    _, 

.  rr-          T-»       i      •  e    The  Booster 

always  welcome  in  any  office.     Purchasing  agents  and  owners  of    Always 

any  sort  of  business  are  always  glad  to  extend  a  warm  welcome    Welcome 


308 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Evil  of 
Destructive 
Competition 


to  him  aad  as  a  rule,  it  is  the  booster  that  gets  the  business.  Every- 
body wants  to  hide  when  they  know  there  is  the  weekly  or  monthly 
visit  of  a  pessimist  due,  although  he  may  represent  a  first  class 
concern  that  ships  good  lumber  and  ships  it  promptly. 

We  all  ought  to  be  opposed  to  destructive  competition  in  any 
sort  of  business.  By  destructive  competition  I  mean  the  kind,  as 
you  know,  where  one  company  has  a  good  customer,  one  that  gives 
its  salesman  orders  for  considerable  lumber.  Another  salesman  will 
keep  hammering  at  it  until  he  gets,  his  price  so  low  that  he  will 
get  a  part  of  the  business  away,  and  then  the  first  salesman  will 
wire  his  company  asking  for  permission  to  meet  legitimate  com- 
petition. These  two  words,  "legitimate  competition,"  should  be 
eliminated  from  the  vocabulary  of  every  boosting,  energetic  man 
who  represents  our  great  industry  in  the  field,  as  the  term  "meeting 
legitimate  competition"  simply  means  retreat — a  hole  busted  in  your 
first  line  of  defense. 

The  sales  organization  of  any  institution  has  a  great  deal 
more  to  do  with  keeping  the  stockholders,  owners  and  employees 
happy  and  contented  than  any  other  part  of  the  organization.  In 
any  organization  there  is  a  continual  effort  to  keep  the  cost  of 
manufacture  down  as  low  as  possible,  and  when  the  best  operating 
organization  has  worked  hard  for  thirty  days  to  succeed  in  getting 
the  cost  of  production  reduced  five  cents,  they  are  very  much 
pleased,  while  the  sales  organization  cuts  the  pricq  a  dollar  with- 
out very  much  concern.  And  I  know  from  experience  in  our  own 
Unnecessary  business  that  our  profits  are  almost  entirely  controlled  by  the  sales 
Price  Cutting  organization.  If  a  half  dozen  salesmen  write  in  to  the  sales  man- 
ager that  in  order  to  meet  legitimate  competition  they  have  got  to 
reduce  prices  a  dollar  and  after  they  have  written  in  this  strain 
for  three  or  four  times,  down  comes  the  price.  Perhaps  if  the 
salesman  understood  the  territory  and  understood  the  reasons  for  a 
little  depression  and  would  give  that  impression  to  the  sales  manager 
instead  of  asking  him  to  reduce  prices,  it  would  have  a  very  much 
better  effect  on  the  business  and  on  the  organization. 

What  is  your  ambition  ?  '  Is  it  to  sell  Southern  Pine  lumber, 
or  simply  that  you  like  to  travel  around  through  the  country  and 
get  some  experience  and  education  by  constantly  meeting  people? 
I  have  heard  some  men  say,  men  who  were  traveling  not  only  for 
our  own  concern  but  for  others  also,  that  they  felt  that  two  or  three 
years  spent  in  going  around  meeting  people  would  be  a  very  valu- 
able experience,  but  that  they  did  not  have  the  idea  of  taking  up 


SELLING     LUMBER 


309 


this  business  of  selling  lumber  as  a  life  work.  It  is  very  easy,  in 
looking  over  the  monthly  statements  of  the  sales  department,  to  pick 
these  men  out;  and  there  is  a  constant  effort  being  made,  I  pre- 
sume, by  a  lot  of  manufacturers  to  eliminate  men  of  this  kind  from 
their  field  force.  If  it  is  your  ambition  to  sell  lumber,  you  will 
find  every  day  something  new  that  is  useful,  something  that  will 
help  you  and  your  firm,  and  if  your  ambition  is  to  sell  lumber,  you 
will  be  a  booster,  and  a  booster  gains  friends  everywhere.  If  it  is 
your  ambition  to  sell  Southern  Pine  lumber,  you  will  be  so  vigorous 
and  will  spend  so  much  time  in  developing  your  territory  that  the 
people  for  whom  you  work  will  have  their  eye  on  you  constantly, 
and  when  an  opportunity  presents  itself  you  will  be  recognized  as 
a  man  of  ability,  and  your  future  will  be  secure. 

The  only  way  to  know  your  territory  thoroughly  is  to  visit 
every  manufacturing  plant  and  every  lumber  yard  that  has  been 
assigned  to  you.  How  many  times  during  the  past  year  after  having 
made  a  thorough  canvass  of  your  territory  have  you  written  your 
firm  asking1  them  to  stop  the  production  of  certain  sizes  which, 
from  your  observation,  were  in  surplus  in  your  territory?  If  you 
don't  give  your  firm  such  information,  the  probabilities  are  they 
will  continue  manufacturing  these  sizes  and  a  little  later  on,  when 
they  are  not  moving  readily,  you  will  write  them  that  there  is  a 
surplus  of  these  items  and  in  order  to  move  them  it  will  be  necessary 
to  reduce  the  price ;  while  if  the  information  had  been  passed  along 
to  your  firm  when  you  first  noticed  the  items  in  surplus  it  would 
have  undoubtedly  saved  them  considerable  money. 

How  many  times  during  the  past  year  did  you  write  your 
firm  to  advance  the  price  on  certain  items  that  from  your  observa- 
tion at  the  retail  yards  were  getting  scarce?  You  are  the  eyes  of 
the  industry.  If  you  use  them  to  advantage,  your  companies  will 
be  successful.  Every  time  you  visit  one  of  your  customers  you 
ought  to  look  his  stock  over  and  in  a  general  way  find  out  what 
items  he  is  short  of  and  what  are  in  surplus,  and  after  a  week 
spent  in  your  territory  visiting  all  parts  of  it,  you  would  probably 
be  able  to  advise  your  firm  of  the  sizes  that  are  getting  scarce. 
It  is  the  items  that  are  in  surplus  that  cause  depression  in  prices. 

How  many  times  have  you  wired  your  headquarters  during  the 
past  few  months  asking  for  permission  to  reduce  prices,  with  the 
statement  that  it  must  be  done  to  meet  legitimate  competition ;  while 
the  same  fifty  cents  spent  on  this  day  or  night  letter  would  have 
taken  you  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  on  any  railroad  and  probably 


What  Is  Your 
Ambition? 


Salesmen  Are 
the  Eyes  of 
the  Industry 


310  SELLING    LUMBER 

gotten  you  to  a  town  where  you  could  have  disposed  of  some  of 
your  product  to  advantage  without  reducing  the  price? 

You  frequently  write  and  complain  about  grades  and  manu- 
facture. Do  you  ever  write  and  say  that  the  last  car  shipped  on 
order  No.  1000  was  the  best  graded  and  best  manufactured  car 
ever  sent  into  your  territory,  and  that  your  customer  is  very  much 
Varying  pleased?  All  operating  men  are  human,  and  a  letter  of  this  kind, 
comm&  fr°m  the  field  force,  would  be  circulated  throughout  the 
plant  and  would  give  all  of  your  operating  organization  confidence 
in  themselves  and  would  speed  them  on  to  greater  efficiency  in 
their  grading  and  manufacture. 

It's  a  great  privilege  to  be  connected  in  any  way  with  the  lum- 
ber industry — its  been  my  good  fortune  to  be  associated  with  the 
Trade  Extension  Department  of  both  the  National  Lumber  Man- 
ufacturers' Association  and  with  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  and 
as  the  result  of  a  few  months'  work  we  are  fully  convinced  that  in 
order  to  reach  the  consumer  most  effectively,  we  must  do  it  through 
our  selling  organizations,  made  up  as  they  are  of  men  who,  as  a 
general  rule,  are  thorough-going,  clean,  square  fighters  for  busi- 
ness, and  although  there  are  a  few  clouds  on  the  horizon  of  our  in- 
dustry at  present,  we  can  see  into  the  future  far  enough  to  know  the 
result  of  the  valiant  fight  being  made.  The  lumber  industry  is 
coming  to  be  a  real  business. 

If  you  cannot  sell  lumber,  boost  paper  products  made  from 
sawmill  waste. 


Selling  Factory  and  Indus- 
trial Trade         8C 

By  C.  W.  Myers 

Representing  W.  R.  Pickering  Lumber  Co. 
Detroit,  Mich. 

At  the  call  of  the  Committee  on  Arrangements  of  the  "School 
of  Salesmen"  we  are  here  to  discuss  and  hear  discussed  practically 
every  branch  of  the  industry  which  we  represent.  In  my  mind  there 
is  no  one  department  that  represents  as  much  to  those  who  have 
investments  in  the  different  organizations  that  we  represent  as  the 
Sales  Department.  In  this  connection,  I  am  sure  there  no  de- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


311 


partment  from  the  logging  operation  up  that  has  shown  less  com- 
parative progress. 

Living  as  we  are  in  an  age  where  only  those  who  have  attained 
the  highest  type  of  efficiency  are  able  to  keep  up  with  the  procession, 
it  is  highly  important  that  we  as  salesmen  develop  a  higher  degree 
of  efficiency.  I  would  ask  that  some  of  you  older  salesmen  give  a 
moment's  reflection  and  see  if  you  can  recall  where  you  have  ma- 
terially changed  your  offensive  tactics  in  your  battle  for  orders 
during  your  long  terms  of  service?  In  order  to  more  forcibly 
bring  this  to  you,  I  wish  to  quote  from  a  speech  made  by  our  chair- 
man, Harry  T.  Kendall,  delivered  before  the  Central  Association 
of  Lumber,  Sash  and  Door  Salesmen  at  Chicago :  "Lumber  is  sold 
today  in  exactly  the  same  way  it  was  sold  fifty  years  ago.  In  the 
manufacturing  end,  the  lumberman  has  kept  fairly  abreast  with 
the  times,  but  in  the  selling  of  his  product  he  is  antideluvian." 

Selling  lumber  is  a  profession  and  to  illustrate  let's  take  the 
medical  fraternity  in  the  times  of  our  forefathers.  Who  ever  heard 
of  an  eye  specialist  or  a  throat  specialist?  It  was  plain  Dr.  Brown, 
the  "cure  all."  At  a  convention  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion held  in  Detroit  early  this  month,  I  counted  ten  different  and 
distinct  branches  of  specialists  represented,  showing  the  progress 
made  in  the  medical  profession,  through  specialization. 

With  this  concrete  example  before  us,  we  must  recognize  the 
necessity  of  a  higher  degree  of  efficiency  in  salesmanship.  Special- 
ization, the  method  which  has  attained  efficiency  in  other  pro- 
fessions, must  be  applied  to  the  profession  of  salesmanship.  The 
selling  of  lumber,  to  my  mind,  should  be  divided  into  no  less  than 
four  branches: 

First — Selling  the  retail  yard  trade. 

Second — Selling  railroad  and  car  shops. 

Third — Selling  export  trade. 

Fourth — Selling  factory  and  industrial  trade, 

All  of  which  are  peculiar  to  themselves.  The  last  duty  has  been 
assigned  me  by  the  committee  for  discussion.  Selling  the  factory 
and  industrial  trade  has  many  serious  handicaps  at  present.  Suc- 
cess can  only  be  obtained  by  close  co-operation  between  the  manu- 
facturing and  the  sales  department. 

My  experience  in  selling  factories  has  brought  to  my  observa- 
tion a  very  serious  deficiency  on  the  part  of  the  manufacturing 
department  and  leads  me  to  make  the  statement  that  the  manu- 


Higher 
Efficiency 
a  Need 


This  an  Age 
of  Speciali- 
zation 


312 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Mills  Fail  to 
Provide  for 
Factory  Needs 


Industrial 
Trade  De- 
mands Close 
Study 


facturer  leaves  off  manufacturing  where  the  real  profit  begins. 
There  is  an  increasing  demand  for  cut  to  length,  specially  worked 
stock,  but  how  very  few  are  the  planing  mills  that  are  equipped 
with  proper  machinery  to  execute  these  orders. 

Let  us  take  as  an  example  interior  trims.  Do  you  know  of 
any  reason  why  our  rough  finish  should  be  shipped  into  the  North- 
ern markets  on  highest  rates  of  freight  and  made  into  cut  to  length  * 
casings,  stiles,  jambs,  stool  aprons,  blocks,  treads,  risers,  newels, 
balustrades,  built-up  stair  rail,  etc.,  when  with  the  addition  of  a 
very  little  equipment  and  skilled  labor  it  can  be  produced  at  your 
own  plant  cheaper,  and  marketed  at  a  better  profit  by  some  one  of 
your  sales  force  who  will  develop  himself  along  the  line  of  special- 
ization in  this  line  of  salesmanship.  It  is  true  that  we  cannot  all 
develop  profits  along  this  one  line,  but  I  am  using  this  as  an  illus- 
tration only  of  one  of  the  many  lines  that  can  be  developed  by 
the  salesman  with  the  co-operation  of  the  manufacturing  branch. 
Selling  factory  and  industrial  trade  demands  close  study  of  their 
different  requirements.  The  yellow  pine  industry  has  already  lost 
to  allied  wood  a  big  volume  of  business  on  account  of  the  salesmen 
failing  to  study  usage  to  which  the  stock  they  were  selling  would 
be  put  and  by  this  error  of  judgment  he  has  not  only  failed  to 
secure  repeat  orders  but  has  kept  other  concerns,  who  could  furnish 
suitable  stock  from  getting  business. 

To  make  this  argument  plain,  only  a  few  days  ago  I  called  on 
the  buyer  for  one  of  the  largest  automobile  manufacturers  in  De- 
troit and  was  informed  by  the  purchasing  agent  that  they  did  not 
use  any  Southern  pines.  Knowing  that  other  automobile  concerns 
were  using  large  quantities  of  6-inch  No.  2  for  export  crating,  I 
-asked  his  reason  for  using  a  substitute.  His  answer  was  that  on 
account  of  the  weight  and  the  hard  flinty  character  of  yellow  pine 
he  found  it  more  economical  to  use  another  wood.  After  going  over 
the  subject  thoroughly  with  the  purchasing  agent  and  the  man  in 
charge  of  their  crating,  it  developed  that  they  had  evidently  always 
used  long  leaf  stock,  when  they  had  used  yellow  pine,  but  that  a 
soft  variety  of  shof t  leaf  •  such  as  can  be  procured  from  many 
Southern  manufacturers  would  be  equal  in  serviceableness  in  every 
respect  to  the  wood  they  are  now  using  and  on  even  a  lower  basis 
of  price  than  they  are  now  paying  would  net  a  nice  f.  o.  b.  mill 
price  to  the  manufacturer.  The  foregoing  observations  serve  to 
bring  out  two  points :  First,  the  importance  of  a  specialty  sales- 
man having  a  thorough  and  complete  knowledge  of  the  wood  they 


SELLING     LUMBER 


313 


Each  Indus- 
trial Plant  a 
Separate 
Problem 


are  selling ;  and,  second,  if  it  will  meet  the  requirements  for  which 
it  is  sold. 

The  first  requirement  is  to  my  mind  not  nearly  so  general 
among  salesmen  as  one  would  naturally  think.  The  second  require- 
is  a  matter  to  which  only  a  small  percentage  of  yellow  pine  sales- 
men have  given  serious  study.  Unlike  selling  to  the  retail  yard, 
you  have  a  different  condition  to  meet  in  each  industrial  plant, 
which  necessitates  a  close  study  of  their  requirements.  The  second 
point  my  illustration  brings  out  is  the  fact  that  almost  without  ex- 
ception the  purchasing  agents  of  the  different  industrial  plants 
have  a  very  limited  knowledge  of  lumber,  as  pertaining  to  the 
manufacturing  methods,  grades,  etc.,  for  the  reason  that  their  lum- 
ber consumption  represents  a  very  limited  part  of  their  raw 
material  purchases  and  for  this  reason  the  buyer  is  governed  largely 
by  price  and  the  price  is  in  many  instances  made  to  them  by  sales- 
men who  contemplate  the  substitution  of  lower  grades. 

The  point  I  wish  to  bring  out  in  this  connection  is  the  im- 
portance of  the  salesman  having  a  thorough  and  complete  knowl- 
edge of  the  wood  he  sells,  proper  use  of  each  grade,  and  a  fair 
knowledge  of  operating  methods  in  order  that  he  may  help  solve 
the  problems  of  his  customer  and  educate  him  to  the  uses  to  which 
different  grades  can  be  put  from  an  economical  standpoint,  this 
educational  campaign  on  the  part  of  the  salesman,  in  my  mind, 
stands  first  in  importance.  You  not  only  obtain  the  confidence  of 
the  purchasing  agent  by  impressing  upon  him  your  knowledge  of 
the  yellow  pine  industry  by  being  prepared  to  state  quickly  and 
positively  if  your  own  mill  or  any  other  plants  are  able  to  work 
stock  in  accordance  with  their  requirements,  but  it  will  ultimately 
overcome  another  very  serious  handicap :  The  substitution  of  grades 
and  the  buying  by  industrial  plants  of  woods  unfit  for  the  use  for 
which  they  are  intended.  By  overcoming  these  very  serious  de- 
fects in  their  marketing  methods,  the  yellow  pine  manufacturers  will 
have  done  much  towards  the  successful  marketing  of  their  products. 

There  is  another  very,  very  important  problem  that  the  specialty 
salesman  must  solve,  and  that  is  the  disposition  of  short  lengths,    ghort  Lengths 
The  matter  of  marketing  short  length  stock  is  and  has  always  been    and  the 
a  problem  to  the  manufacturer  of  lumber  and  we  all  know  that  the 
percentage  sold  to  the  consumer  direct  as  compared  to  the  sales 
made  to  the  wholesaler  is  very  small.     I  am  of  the  opinion  that  a 
comparative   statement  made  up  by  the  manufacturer  will   show 


314  SELLING     LUMBER 

that  a  very  small  proportion  goes  to  the  consumer  direct,  and  that 
the  major  portion  goes  to  certain  concerns  who  specialize  on  shorts 
and  mill  odds  and  ends  and  who  are  showing  a  nice  margin  of 
profit  on  their  operations. 

There  are  two  conditions  that  make  this  possible:  First,  the 
fact  that  the  personnel  of  these  concerns  are  men  who  have  studied 
closely  the  requirements  of  the  industrial  plants  and  who,  by  know- 
ing the  proper  use  and  requirements  are  able  to  fill  their  orders 
at  a  small  reduction  under  what  the  manufacturer  is  asking  for 
his  regular  lengths;  second,  their  ability  at  all  times  to  buy  these 
items  at  a  greatly  reduced  price  from  the  manufacturer,  which  goes 
to  show  that  they  are  keenly  alive  to  the  situation  as  a  result  of  a 
close  study  of  factory  requirements.  You  have  no  doubt  seen  the 
report  made  by  a  committee  made  up  of  retailers  and  the  secretaries 
Short  Lengths  °^  vai"i°us  retail  dealers'  associations  after  their  visit  to  several 
Worth  As  plants  which  pertained  to  crooked  stock,  and  the  adoption  of  their 
recommendation  to  the  manufacturer  will  mean  an  increased  pro- 
duction of  short  lengths.  There  can  be  no  good  reason  why  lengths 
under  10  feet,  even  or  uneven,  should  bring  a  less  price  than  staple 
lengths,  as  long  as  there  can  be  made  a  demand  for  this  stock. 
Unquestionably  the  demand  is  increasing  and  it  is  the  duty  of  every 
salesman  to  study  every  condition  that  presents  itself  with  the  view 
of  further  increasing  this  very  important  demand,  and  I  hope  the 
time  is  not  far  distant  when  we  can  bring  the  price  of  short  lengths 
up  to  very  close  to  the  price  of  staple  lengths,  thereby  very  ma- 
terially increasing  the  mill  average  for  the  manufacturers.  As 
before  stated,  to  me  this  seems  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  given 
a  place  in  our  general  discussion,  or  better  still,  to  be  made  an  as- 
signment at  some  later  meeting. 


SELLING    LUMBER  315 

Claims  and  Disputes;  Their 
Cause  and  Settlement 

By  M.  L.  Wuescher 

Auditor,  Great  Southern  Lumber  Company 
Bogalusa,  La. 

A  claim  in  its  final  analysis  is  the  result  of  a  mistake  or 
misunderstanding.  To  treat  this  subject  intelligently,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  first  determine  definitely  at  what  points  claims  develop  and 
their  causes. 

A  careful  study  of  the  matter  brings  forth  the  fact  that  usu- 
ally the  causes  of  all  claims  develop  at  three  given  points. 

First — In  taking  the  order  from  the  customer  by  the  salesman.    Develop  at 

Second — Execution  of  the  order  by  the  mill.  Three  Points 

Third — Inspection  and  tallying  of  stock  on  receipt  of  car  by 
the  customer. 

In  order  to  treat  this  broad  subject  in  a  logical  manner  let 
us  first  consider  the  causes  of  claims,  originating  at  the  time  the 
salesman  solicits  and  accepts  the  order  from  the  customer. 

Experience  teaches  us  that  the  usual  causes  of  claims  at  the 
first  point,  or  at  the  time  of  taking  the  order  by  the  salesman,  can 
be  classified  as  follows: 

Making  errors  in  the  description  or  in  the  price  of  lumber  in    Claims  Aris- 
transmitting  the  order  to  the  mill,  and  by  not  having  all  data  per-   ing  from  Sell- 
taining  to   the  order   written   into   the   order,   rather  than   in    an 
accompanying  letter. 

Inserting  wrong  routing  or  incorrect  rates  in  the  order  trans- 
mitted to  the  mill. 

Making  special  agreements  with  the  customer  regarding  stock 
and  not  sending  sufficient  information  to  the  mill  covering  the  trans- 
action. 

By  not  advising  the  mill  on  orders  for  special  stock,  for  what 
purpose  it  is  to  be  used  if  possible  to  ascertain  this  information, 
and  in  the  case  of  orders  for  special  worked  stock  not  accompany- 
ing same  with  blue  print,  whenever  possible. 

Selling  lumber  on  comparison.  , 

Salesmen  not  being  entirely  familiar  with  conditions  at  the 
mill  and  its  operation. 


316 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Preventive 
Measures  for 
the  Salesman 


Urge  Use  of 
Association 
Grades 


Liability  of  misunderstanding  between  customer  and  sales- 
man, in  the  descriptions  of  lumber  or  prices,  in  soliciting  and  ac- 
cepting orders  over  the  telephone. 

Claims  from  the  above  causes  could  be  minimized  or  prac- 
tically eliminated  if  the  salesman  would  pay  very  close  attention 
to  the  following: 

All  salesmen  should  have  a  standard  and  uniform  method  for 
writing  up  the  order.  This  order  should  include  all  instructions, 
special  routings,  correct  rate,  and  any  other  information,  rather 
than  to  put  same  in  an  accompanying  letter. 

Salesmen  should  also  be  familiar  with  the  routings  and  rates 
applying  to  their  territory.  In  case  the  customer  desires  special 
routing  the  salesman  should  be  very  careful  to  see  that  the  routing 
specified  will  not  increase  the  rate  to  the  point  of  destination. 

Make  no  special  agreements  with  customers  as  to  the  class  of 
stock  to  be  furnished,  unless  you  advise  the  mill  thoroughly  and 
specifically  regarding  same. 

All  special  stock  should  be  investigated  carefully  and  the 
grade  and  complete  specifications  as  agreed  on  between  the  cus- 
tomer and  the  salesman  should  be  written  into  the  order.  Do  not 
fail  to  advise  the  mill  wherever  it  is  possible,  the  use  for  which 
the  material  is  intended.  If  the  stock  is  worked  special,  accom- 
pany the  order  whenever  possible  with  a  blue  print  showing  the 
correct  working. 

Lumber  should  not  be  sold  on  comparison  with  stock  manu- 
factured by  other  mills,  for,  in  the  event  of  a  claim  there  is  no 
mutual  ground  for  settlement,  or  an  arbitrator  on  whom  you  can 
call. 

All  salesmen  should  be  familiar  with  the  conditions  at  the 
sawmill. 

When  an  order  is  accepted  over  telephone  be  sure  a  confirma- 
tion is  immediately  sent  you,  and  compare  same  with  the  order  sent 
the  mill. 

Endeavor  to  educate  your  customer  to  use  Southern  Pine 
Association  grades  whenever  it  is  possible.  This,  however,  does  not 
mean  for  you  to  pass  up  an  order  or  to  discourage  the  use  of  spe- 
cial grades  wanted  if  they  are  best  suited  for  the  purposes  in- 
tended. 

Sell  regular  yard  and  shed  stock  only  on  the  grades  and  spe- 
cifications of  the  Southern  Pine  Association. 


SELLING    LUMBER  317 

We  will  now  take  up  for  consideration  the  second  point,  or 
the  execution  of  the  order  by  the  mill. 

Experience  also  teaches  us  that  claims  usually  develop  dur- 
ing the  execution  of  an  order  at  the  mill,  from  the  following 
causes : 

Errors  in  grade.  Claims 

0  Developing 

Errors   m  tallying.  at  the  Mill 

Shortages. 

Mismanufacture  of  lumber. 

Poor  planing  mill  work. 

Errors  in  invoices  and  price. 

Difference  of  understanding  between  the  sales  office  and  the 
shipping  department. 

Shipping  lumber  during  unfavorable  weather  conditions. 

Shipping  green  lumber. 

Putting  wrong  routings  in  bills  of  lading. 

Mill  being  forced  to  use  equipment  not  adapted  to  order,  espe- 
cially during  car  shortages. 

Not  shipping  proportion  of  the  correct  lengths. 

While  these  items  coyer  the  cause  of  claims  originating  at 
the  mill,  I  believe  it  would  be  more  appropriate  to  bring  this 
matter  up  for  discussion  at  an  operators'  meeting  rather  than  at 
the  present  one,  where  we  are  dealing  primarily  and  principally 
with  sales  problems. 

We  will  now  consider  the  third  point,  or  the  inspection  and 
tallying  of  the  stock  on  receipt  of  the  car,  by  the  customer.  The 
customer  and  his  assistants  who  receive  the  stock  are  only  human ; 
therefore  are  liable  to  mistakes.  The  principal  causes  of  claims 
and  disputes  originating  with  the  customers  may  properly  be  classi- 
fied under  the  following  heads : 

The  human  element,  or  the  natural  difference  of  opinion  be- 
tween the  employees  of  the  customer  and  the  employees  of  the 
mill,   particularly   in  tallying  and  grading,   for  grading  is  not  an 
exact  science  and  a  reasonable  variation  of  opinion  between  the   claims  Origin- 
inspectors  should  be  recognized.  ating  After 

Rough  handling  and  breakage  of  lumber  when  unloading  same 
from  the  car. 

Natural  disposition  of  purchaser  to  compare  the  lumber  of 
one  manufacturer  with  the  lumber  of  another,  instead  of  using 
the  Southern  Pine  Association  grading  rules. 

Actual  mistakes  in  tallying  and  checking  the  lumber. 


318 


SELLING    LUMBER 


Salesmen 
Should  Guard 
Employers' 
Interests 


Information 
the  Mills 
Should  Have 


Extremely  technical  inspection  by  the  buyer  of  lumber  on  a 
declining  market. 

Delay  of  shipment  of  the  car  beyond  the  time  proniised  by  the 
mill. 

The  settlement  of  disputes  or  claims  must  necessarily  be  done 
on  an  impartial  and  equitable  basis,  and  should  on  their  conclu- 
sion be  satisfactory  to  both  the  customer  and  the  mill.  However, 
salesmen  settling  claims  with  customers  should  continuously  bear 
in  mind  that  they  are  in  the  employ  of  the  manufacturer  and  should 
guard  his  interest  very  carefully. 

When  a  claim  is  filed  by  a  customer,  full  and  complete  in- 
formation should  be  submitted  to  the  mill  immediately,  not  sim- 
ply advice  that  the  car  has  been  refused  or  that  a  claim  has  been 
made  on  part  of  the  shipment. 

In  order  to  handle  the  adjustment  in  a  most  efficient  and 
most  business-like  manner,  the  following  information  should  be 
furnished  the  mills: 

Car  and  order  number. 

Date  of  arrival  of  the  car. 

Condition  of  delivering  equipment,  with  seal  numbers,  if  any. 

General  condition  of  the  load. 

Full  and  complete  report  as  maintained  by  the  customer. 

Full  report  of  stock  in,  accordance  with  your  best  judgment, 
including  grade  marks. 

If  stock  has  been  unloaded,  whether  or  not  any  of  it  has  been 
sold  or  remanufactured  and  the  manner  in  which  it  is  being  taken 
care  of,  whether  stacked  in  the  open  or  under  cover. 

Best  adjustment  that  is  acceptable  to  the  customer,  with  rec- 
ommendations as  to  whether  or  not  it  should  be  accepted  by  the 
mill,  and  if  not,  what  other  disposition  you  can  make  of  the  lum- 
ber. 

All  of  this  can  be  incorporated  in  one  letter  so  that  definite, 
prompt  and  final  action  can  be  taken  by  the  mill  without  endless 
correspondence. 

In  conclusion,  all  salesmen  should  remember  that  claims  mean 
monetary  loss  to  the  mill  and  if  by  following  some  of  the  forego- 
ing suggestions  claims  can  be  avoided,  it  will  be  much  easier  for 
salesmen  and  beneficial  to  the  mill,  to  assist  in  forestalling  dis- 
putes rather  than  to  effect  their  settlement. 


SELLING    LUMBER  319 

Yard  Stock  Grading  Rules 

By  J.  W.  Martin 

Long-Bell  Lumber  Company 
Shreveport,  La. 

The  whole  subject  of  grading  lumber  is,  I  should  say,  a  judi- 
cious selection  of  material  under  consideration  for  specific  pur- 
poses ;  therefore  yard  stock  grading  rules  should  be  framed  to 
tersely  express  the  qualities  it  is  desired  should  be  grouped  to- 
gether and  represent  one  class  in  general  retail  yard  trade. 

It  will  never  be  possible  to  get  all  men  to  agree  as  to  either 
the  value  or  desirability  of  boards  or  planks  of  any  particular 
kind  for  specific  purposes,  as  some  will  select  as  most  desirable 
those  pieces  that  least  offend  the  eye,  and  are  "easiest  to  look 
at,"  arguing  that  the  customer  will  be  inexperienced  and  influenced 
in  like  manner;  others  will  demand  certain  physical  qualities 
not  found  in  the  "easy  to  look  at"  pieces  and  base  their  choice 
on  some  former  experience  of  their  own,  and  probably  their  atti- 
tude will  be  sound,  and  yet  they  may  miss  some  sales  because  of 
that  attitude ;  others  will  be  impressed  with  the  wisdom  of  "a  judi- 
cious mixture,"  arguing  that  the  customer  will  be  able  to  find  in 
each  lot  under  their  grading  a  board  to  his  liking  for  every  spe-  yarje(j 
cific  purpose  for  which  he  will  need  a  particular  board;  others  Standards 
again  will  be  influenced  by  generalities,  and  if  the  general  effect 
is  pleasant,  or  good,  from  their  viewpoint,  they  are  apt  to  decide 
that  the  grading  is  right,  or,  if  the  reverse  is  true,  that  it  is  wrong ; 
all  of  the  foregoing  individuals  have  endowed  the  customer  with 
their  own  viewpoint,  they  have  concluded  along  certain  lines,  hence 
the  customer  will  conclude  likewise,  and  I  presume  he  usually 
does — unless  he  chances  to  have  made  his  conclusions  from  cer- 
tain deductions  of  his  own,  and  refuses  to  lose  sight  of  them,  in 
which  case  he  becomes  a  "crank"  and  "that  brings  on  more  talk." 
Another  class,  and  he  is  usually  called  a  "smooth  duck,"  grades 
to  "get  by ;"  he  doesn't  believe  the  customer  knows  as  much  about 
the  physical  value  of  lumber  as  he  does,  and  he  is  usually  right, 
and  so  he  grades  his  lumber  up  to  the  taste  of  the  community  his 
yard  serves;  he  knows  every  possible  manipulation  of  a  board,  a 
studding,  a  joist  or  piece  of  siding,  flooring  or  finish,  and  he  ex- 
plains every  objection  the  customer  brings  up,  and  usually  he  satis- 


320  SELLINGLUMBER 

fies  and  sells  the  customer,  and  if  the  customer  follows  the  in- 
structions he  got  from  the  dealer  he  usually  remains  satisfied,  if 
he  does  not,,  then  all  is  not  so  lovely. 

Now  in  the  foregoing  I  have  attempted  to  outline  general  con- 
ditions in  yard  grading,  but  I  have  not  touched  on  the  actual  con- 
ditions to  be  considered  here,  that  of  yard  stock  grading  by  the 
manufacturer,  and  I  am  going  to  amend  the  title  of  the  subject 
Yard  Stock         by  saying  we  must  consider  it  under  the  caption  of  "Yard  Stock 
Grading  by  the   ]y|anuf acturing  and  Grading,"  and  the  manufacturer  who  is  doing 
the  best  work  along  this  line  is  the  one  who  has  given  intelligent 
consideration   to   every  physical   characteristic  of   the  trees   he   is 
using,  and  I  am  speaking  wholly  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine. 

He  must  recognize  that  there  should  be  the  least  possible  time 
allowed  to  elapse  between  the  cutting  of  the  tree  and  putting  the 
logs  into  the  water;  that  logs  should  never  be  cut  and  allowed  to 
lie  end  to  end  in  the  woods,  or  singly,  or  on  a  skidway,  in  hot 
weather,  or  blue  sap  is  a  sure  consequence.  He  must  recognize 
the  fact  that  his  machinery  must  be  kept  at  the  highest  condition  of 
efficiency,  that  lengths  should  be  checked  every  day,  and  widths 
at  least  twice  a  day  at  the  sawmill;  that  lumber  should  be  piled 
to  shed  rains,  have  ample  air  spaces  in  the  pile ;  that  cross  strips 
should  never  be  more  than  four  inches  wide;  that  a  pile  should 
never  lean  forward ;  that  it  should  be  roofed  to  drop  the  rain  clear 
of  the  rear  of  the  pile;  that  2x4  should  be  piled  on  edge  and  have 
a  cross-piece  every  4J^  feet ;  that  he  should  keep  enough  mois- 

_  .       ture  in  his  kiln  to  prevent  the  surface  of  the  piece  from  shrink- 

b  actors  of  f 

Efficiency  in    ing  first  and  checking  in  consequence,  and  that  he  must  saw  his 
Lumber  iOgS  jnf-o  material  that  will  carry  the  defects,  that  is,   red  heart 

into  boards  and  very  pitchy  material  into  timbers,  fencing  and 
dimensions  where  pitch  is  a  virtue,  and  keep  it  out  of  siding,  ceil- 
ing and  finish,  which  presupposes  a  paint,  stain  or  oil  finish ;  and 
then  when  he  brings  it  to  his  planer  to  put  the  finishing  touch 
upon  it  he  should  see  that  the  best  is  done  there  that  cari  be  done — 
it  should  come  out  evenly  and  smoothly  dressed,  not  torn  and 
chipped  in  the  machine ;  it  should  be  gauged  by  steel  gauges  milled 
out  to  a  machinist  scale  both  as  to  thickness  and  widths,  and  not 
measured  by  a  rule,  which,  if  not  held  accurately  at  right  angles 
is  sure  to  give  incorrect  results,  whereas  with  the  gauge  it  can 
be 'measured  in  the  dark;  in  simple  words  we  should  add  noth- 
ing to  the  natural  defects  of  our  material  in  the  process  of  manu- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


321 


facture,  but  should  add  to  its  desirable  qualities  by  excellence  of 
finish,  all  other  conclusions  are  fallacies. 

Now  finally  as  to  grading  —  grade  as  close  to  established  rules 
as  careful  consideration  of  the  rules  enables  you  to  grade,  for  the 
rules  established  will  always  represent  the  best  conclusions  so  far 
arrived  at.  No  manufacturer  has  so  much  margin  of  profit,  or  to 


,f 


such  a  surplus  of  excellence  in  his  timber  that  he  can  overgrade,    lished  Rules 
and  the  grading  bureau  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  to  which 
disputes  must  be  referred  for  adjustment  is  sure  to  show  up  any 
undergrading  that  is  referred  to  them  for  determination. 

The  great  result  desired  in  any  trade  is  profitable  manufac- 
ture and  satisfied  and  well  served  customers,  and  both  cannot  be 
secured  except  by  suitable  selection  of  material  for  each  commod- 
ity. Wide  ringed  loblolly  does  not  produce  acceptable  joist  or 
timbers,  but  if  fairly  free  of  knots  it  produces  beautiful  grain 
effects  as  finish.  If  knotty  it  serves  as  well  as  any  for  sheath- 
ing, floor  lining,  etc.  Firm  red  heart  will  outlast  any  other  heart 
lumber  that  is  not  water-proofed  by  pitch;  it  takes  paint  perfectly 
but  it  does  not  stand  wear  as  well.  A  coarse,  knotted  board  will  The  Right 
serve  as  well  as  a  clear  board  in  certain  places  ;  a  wormy  studding 
will  hold  nails  and  stand  as  firm  as  if  the  worm  holes  were  not 
there,  therefore  I  hold  that  grading  for  yard  stock  is  not  merely 
the  separation  of  the  lumber  after  manufacture,  but  that  it  begins 
with  the  cutting  of  the  tree,  extends  throughout  the  sawing,  dry- 
ing and  planing  of  the  lumber,  even  to  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
loaded  into  the  cars,  where  care  in  its  bestowal  -can  insure  its  es- 
cape from  many  defects  added  to  it  by  the  vicissitudes  of  transpor- 
tation, and  the  shock  of  many  sudden  stops  and  starts. 

Finally,  I  would  sum  all  the  foregoing  into  a  few  words  about 
as  follows: 

Know  your  trees  and  their  physical  anatomy,  manufacture 
them  so  that  their  desirable  physical  characteristics  will  be  best 
employed,  and  not  into  commodities  where  such  physical  charac-  Put  the  Brand 

teristics  are  objectionable;  add  no  defects  by  carelessness  or  neglect,    of  Excellence 

;     ,  f  on  Each  Piece 

but  on  each  piece  endeavor  to  put  the  brand  ot  excellence  of  manu- 

facture, then  grade  or  classify  according  to  recognized  and  estab- 
lished grading  rules  —  and  the  best  possible  results  will  be  had. 


322 


SELLING    LUMBER 


Vfihere  Brick 

Displaces 

Wood 


A  Fact  That 

Legislators 

Forget 


After  a  Fire 
in  Germany 


Wood  Substitutes 

By  H.  S.  Sackett 

Forester,  National  Lumber  Manufacturers' 

Association 

Chicago,  111. 

The  principal  wood  substitutes  are  brick,  steel,  concrete,  fibre 
board  and  patent  roofings.  There  are  also  some  others  of  lesser 
importance,  such  as  metal  lath  and  terra  cotta. 

Brick  displaces  wood  mainly  in  home  and  factory  construc- 
tion, and  in  large  cities  in  the  construction  of  apartment  and  flat 
buildings,  its  principal  use  being  for  both  exterior  and  interior 
walls.  It  is  used  especially  for  this  purpose  on  account  of  its  fire- 
resistant  properties  and  its  tendency  to  lessen  or  make  more  diffi- 
cult the  spread  of  fire.  It  should  not  be  lost  sight  of,  however, 
that  after  a  fire  has  attacked  a  building  the  one  with  brick  walls 
is  more  difficult  to  fight  than  the  one  made  of  wood,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  walls  are  harder  for  the  firemen  to  get  through,  and 
furthermore,  because  they  form  a  veritable  chimney  for  the  fire 
itself.  The  use  of  brick  has  very  greatly  increased  during  the 
past  few  years,  not  so  much  because  the  home  builder  or  the  fac- 
tory builder  has  demanded  it,  or  wanted  it,  but  rather  owing  to 
the  fact  that  legislation  has  compelled  its  use.  Cities  and  thickly 
settled  communities  are  constantly  extending  their  fire  limits,  and 
this  necessitates  the  use  of  greater  quantities  of  brick,  and  there- 
fore less  wood.  In  all  this  agitation  the  legislators  forget  one  vital 
fact,  and  that  is,  it  is  the  contents  and  not  the  building  itself,  that 
causes  the  fire,  and  with  so-called  fireproof  construction  the  tend- 
ency is  toward  even  greater  carelessness,  and  therefore  more  fires 
— a  situation  which  is  borne  out  by  actual  facts.  If  we  could  ever 
advance  in  this  country  to  the  high  efficiency  of  the  Germans, 
what  a  wonderful  forward  step  we  could  make!  In  Germany, 
for  example,  when  a  home  builder  has  a  fire  the  first  person  that 
visits  him  after  the  occurrence  of  the  fire  is  the  police  department, 
and  he  is  immediately  put  under  arrest,  and  unless  he  can  prove 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  court  that  he  had  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  fire  or  its  cause,*  he  is  liable  to  imprisonment  and  fine. 
In  any  event,  he  is  obliged  to  pay  all  damages  which  the  fire  may 
have  caused  to  his  neighbor's  property,  and  also  for  the  use  of  the 


SELLING     LUMBER  323 

fire  department  in  putting  it  out.  We  are  already  making  some 
advances  in  this  country  in  this  direction,  for  recently  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  an  ordinance  has  been  passed  requiring  the  individual  who 
has  a  fire  on  his  property  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment in  fighting  it. 

Aside    from    its   use   in   building   construction,   brick    is    used 
to  quite  an  extent  for  street  paving.     Its  principal  disadvantages 
for  this  use  are  that  it  is  noisy,  slippery,  of  low  tractive  efficiency, 
and  does  not  stand  up  well  under  heavy  traffic.    The  wooden  pave-   Street  Pave- 
ment, on  the  other  hand,  is  far  superior  as  regards  noise,  durabil-   ments 
ity,  tractive  efficiency  and  wearing  qualities. 

Steel  has  displaced  wood  for  a  great  many  purposes.     Prob- 
ably one  of  the  most  important  is  in  the  manufacture  of  steel  cars, 
both  passenger  and  freight.     This  situation  has  been  brought  about 
mainly  by  agitation  and  an  effective  publicity  campaign,  and  not 
through    any    advantageous    merits    of    steel    over    wood.     The 
agitation  has  been  fostered  and  aided  by  the  "Safety  First"  cam- 
paign, and  the  theory,  not  proven,  that  steel  cars  in  train  wrecks    gteejin 
afford  a  greater  protection  to  passengers  than  the  wooden  ones.    Competition 
The  indications  are  that  this  is  not  so,   for  in  recent  wrecks  on    with  Wood 
trains  in  which  there  were  both  wooden  and  steel  cars,  the  former 
have,  on  the  whole,  experienced  less  damage  than  the  latter.     As 
a  matter  of  fact,  railroads  are  not  looking  with  as  great  favor  on 
steel  cars  at  the  present  time  as  they  did  some  years  ago.     Very 
recently  an  inspection  of  the  ends  of  some  steel  passenger  cars  in 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  showed  that  they  had  completely  rusted  through 
in   eighteen   months — a   condition   which   would   never   have   been 
found  in  a  wooden  car.    This  exceptionally  fast  rusting  was  doubt- 
less due  to  the  fact  that  steel  instead  of  wrought  iron  was  used, 
and  that  the  rusting  was  aided  by  the  sulphurous  smoke  from  the 
engine.     Temporarily,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  steel  in  freight  car 
building,  there  has  been  a  return  to  the  wooden  superframe,  and 
also   in  many  instances,   to ,  the   wooden   underf  rame   cars.      It   is    First  Wood, 
questionable   whether  or  not  this   condition  would  have  obtained    Then  Back* 
had  there  been  no  European  war,  for  this  is  directly  responsible   to  Wood 
for  the  scarcity  and  high  price  of  steel.     No  doubt  in  the  United 
States  we  will  go  through  the  same  experience  of  a  number  of 
European  countries,  who  turned  some  years  ago  from  the  wooden 
car  to  the  heavy  steel  car,  and  then  went  back  to  the  wooden  car. 

Steel  has  also  displaced  wood  to  a  very  large  extent  in  the 
construction  of  factory  buildings  where  it  has  taken  the  place  of 


324 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Steel  Substi- 
tuted for 
Structural 
Timbers 


Steel  and 
Wood  in  Fire 


Where  Steel 
Has  Increased 
Use  of  Wood 


structural  timbers.  The  principal  objection  to  the  use  of  steel 
for  this  purpose  is  that  it  is  more  costly,  is  a  more  difficult  type  of 
building  to  alter,  and  in  case  of  fire,  unless  the  steel  is  protected, 
is  a  total  loss.  In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  what  has 
been  said  by  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  in  their 
"Code  of  Suggestions  for  Construction  and  Fire  Protection :" 

"An  unprotected  steel  beam  when  attacked  by  fire  is 
not  as  reliable  as  a  wooden  beam.  The  reason  is  that 
steel  loses  its  strength  very  rapidly  when  heated  in  excess 
of  500  to  600  degrees  F.,  and  such  temperatures  are  easily 
attained  in  an  ordinary  fire.  On  the  other  hand  a  wooden 
beam  of  large  cross  section  would  burn  fiercely  over  its 
whole  surface,  but  the  actual  rate  of  penetration  would  be 
slow,  consequently  considerable  time  would  be  required  for 
the  beam  to  burn  sufficiently  to  produce  collapse  even  in  a 
hot  fire.  This  fact  indicates  the  necessity  for  protecting 
steel  beams,  but  does  not  warrant  the  substitution  of  wood- 
en beams  for  steel.  Other  considerations  may  at  times 
justify  the  use  of  timber  construction  instead  of  steel 
work,  but  unless  protected  by  sprinklers,  or  covered  with 
some  non-flammable  material  it  adds  to  the  fire  hazard 
in  the  room  in  which  it  is  exposed.  If  necessary  to  use 
a  heavy  wooden  beam  in  a  cellar  as  above  suggested,  it  is 
recommended  that  if  not  protected  by  sprinklers  it  be  cov- 
ered with  metal  lath  and  plaster,  or  with  asbestos  or  plas- 
ter board. 

"For  the  reason  herein  explained,  it  is  necessary  that 
all  metal  structural  members  used  in  dwelling  house  con- 
struction should  be   fully   encased   in   fireproof  material, 
the  same  as  would  be  required  in  other  buildings." 
In  some  ways  steel  has  increased  the  use  of  wood.     For  ex- 
ample, steel  has  made  possible  the  construction  of  our  skyscrap- 
ers, and  as  these  buildings  require  very  large  quantities  of  interior 
trim  they  have  necessarily  made  a  greater  demand  for  the  use  of 
wood  for  this  purpose,  principally  hardwoods. 

Steel  has  also  displaced  wood  very  largely  in  the  construction 
of  bridges  which  formerly  required  very  large  amounts  of  struc- 
tural timber.  In  this  connection,  however,  it  is  of  interest  to  learn 
that  the  railroad  engineers  are  now  turning  to  wood  instead  of 
steel,  owing  to  the  fact  that  steel  now  costs  just  about  twice  what 


SELLING    LUMBER  325 

it  does  ordinarily.  The  chief  engineer  of  one  of  the  principal 
railroads  recently  stated  that  in  view  of  the  high  price  of  steel 
it  is  decidedly  more  economical  at  the  present  time  to  build  bridges 
of  wood. 

Another  instance  in  which  steel  has  displaced  wood  is  in  the 
manufacture  of  metal  filing  cabinets,  desks,  and  other  office  equip- 
ment. It  is  also  used  for  doors,  in  the  construction  of  metal  lath, 

and  for  electric  light  and  transmission  poles,  and  has  recently  en- 

.  .  .  .Equipment 

tered   the  box  or  shipping  container   field.      Some   time   ago   the    of  Metal 

breweries  attempted  to  use  metal  cases  for  shipping  bottled  beer, 
but  they  found  that  so  many  bottles  were  broken  and  that  the 
life  of  the  case  was  so  short  that  their  use  was  not  profitable. 

Steel  is  also  entering  the  field  of  interior  trim  in  the  large 
office  buildings,  and  is  thereby  displacing  quite  a  quantity  of  hard- 
woods. The  disadvantage  of  steel  in  this  use,  particularly  as  sash, 
is  that  it  has  a  tendency  to  rattle,  and  is  kept  weather  tight  with 
difficulty. 

The  manufacture  of  metal  drums  has  long  made  inroads  into 
the  barrel  business.  Their  great  weight,  however,  the  necessity 
of  returning  them  to  the  owner,  and  the  high  loss  in  breakage, 
are  making  their  profitable  use  very  questionable. 

Concrete  has  displaced  wood  to  a  very  large  extent — in  some 
places  with  propriety,  but  in  others  with  very  great  question.     In 
the  construction  of  sidewalks  there  is  no  doubt  but  what  the  ever- 
lasting sanitary  concrete  is  much  to  be  preferred  over  the  wooden  ^s^Riva! 
sidewalk.     In  other  places,  however,  it  is  difficult  to  justify  the   of  Wood 
use  of  concrete  over  wood.     Probably  the  greatest  use  to  which 
it  has  been  put  as  it  affects  wood,  is  in  the  so-called  fireproof  con- 
struction.    In  office  buildings   and   factories  where  loads  of  300 
pounds  per  square  foot  or  more  are  required,  the  use  of  concrete 
is  more  economical,  but  it  must  be  recognized  that  the  concrete 
structure  is  more  difficult  to  alter,  and  that  the  floors  must  be 
covered  with  a  softer  material  for  the  workmen  to  stand  on.     In 
buildings  demanding  less  than  300  pounds  per  square  foot  heavy  tim- 
ber construction  is  more  economical,  and  when  properly  sprinklered   The  Qra(jes 
is  decidedly  preferable  to  any  other  type  of  construction.    This  is  so    of  Lumber 
not  only  on  account  of  the  ease  of  altering,  but  also  on  Account   Concrete  7 
of  the  low  insurance.     Concrete  has  also  gone  very  largely  into 
bridge   construction,   particularly    in   rural   communities.      Its   use 
for  this  purpose   is   recommended,   and  .there   is   no  question  but 


326 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Fibre  Board 
In  the  Box 
Industry 


Tile,  Slate 
and  Patent 
Roofing 


Substitutes 
Displace  10 
Billion  Feet 
of  Lumber 


what  it  is  more  satisfactory  than  wood,  and  while  it  has  displaced 
to  quite  an  extent  the  use  of  certain  kinds  of  wood,  it  has  aided 
their  use  in  other  ways,  owing  to  the  fact  that  such  large  quanti- 
ties of  wood  are  demanded  in  the  building  of  concrete  structures. 
What  concrete  has  done  in  reality  is  to  decrease  the  amount  of 
high  grade  material,  and  increase  the  amount  of  low  grade  de- 
manded. 

Fibre  board  has  made  quite  a  serious  inroad  in  the  box  in- 
•dustry.  Statistics  compiled  by  the  United  States  Forest  Service 
a  few  years  ago  showed  that  of  the  boxes  then  in  use  about  90 
per  cent  were  of  wood,  and  10  per  cent  of  fibre.  This  indicates 
that  of  the  5,000,000,000  feet  of  lumber  annually  going  into  boxes 
one-tenth,  or  500,000,000  feet  have  been  displaced  by  the  use  of 
fibre  board.  The  competition  has  been  mainly  in  the  smaller 
packages  where  strength  has  not  been  an  important  factor.  The 
main  disadvantages  of  the  fibre  box  are  that  it  cannot  stand  wet- 
ting, that  the  contents  suffer  a  considerable  loss  from  rats  in  ware- 
houses, and  it  cannot  stand  rough  handling.  The  use  of  the  fibre 
box  has  resulted  in  very  much  increased  claims  for  damage  on 
the  part  of  the  shipper,  even  though  the  tendency  is  to  handle  the 
fragile  package  more  carefully. 

Tile,  slate  and  patent  roofings  have  likewise  reduced  the  mar- 
ket for  wooden  shingles.  This  has  been  accomplished  not  so  much 
through  any  great  merit,  and  certainly  not  on  account  of  price, 
for  the  wooden  shingles  are  lower  in  cost,  but  mainly  through  ad- 
vertising, and  the  situation  insead  of  improving  is  growing  worse, 
and  may  even  result  in  the  shingle  manufacturers  being  obliged 
to  make  their  product  fire-resistant  before  it  is  put  on  the  market. 

Summing  up,  it  is  estimated  that  the  substitute  manufac- 
turers are  displacing  annually  about  10,000,000,000  feet  of  lum- 
ber, or  25  per  cent  of  the  normal  production.  Furthermore,  some 
of  the  substitutes,  such  as  steel  freight  cars,  asphalt  shingles  and 
metal  lath  are  comparatively  new  and  their  influence  in  the  fu- 
ture will  be  even  greater  than  at  present.  It  is  also  worthy  of  note 
that  the  unit  cost  of  manufacturing  several  of  the  substitutes 
has  decreased,  such  as  cement,  for  example,  while  the  unit  cost 
of  manufacturing  most  wooden  articles  has  increased. 

T<5  offset  the  inroads  of  the  substitutes  is  needed  a  country- 
wide educational  campaign  on  the  merits  of  wood  for  the  various 
uses  to  which  it  is  put.  Such  a  campaign  if  backed  up  by  au- 
thentic data  and  information  would  accomplish  much.  There  is 


SELLINGLUMBER  327 

also  another  agency  equally  as  effective,  and  that  is  the  lumber 
salesmen.    If  all  of  them  in  the  United  States,  in  their  daily  con- 
tact with  the  dealers  and  consumers  of  wood,  would  preach  the 
gospel  of   "wood  where  wood  is  best,"  and  back  it  up  by  sane,    How  to  Offset 
authoritative  facts,  the  result,  not  only  in  the  increase  in  the  use    Substitutes 
of  wood,  but  also  in  fostering  a  favorable  public  attitude,  would 
be  beyond  conception,  and  the  value  of  the  salesmen  to  the  indus- 
try would  be  increased  many  fold. 


Association  Publicity  as  a 
Lumber  Salesman 

By  W.  J.  Ferry 

Advertising  Manager,  Southern  Pine  Association 

Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Among  the  forces  that  have  to  do  with  the  manufacture 
and  distribution  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  the  two  that  should  be 
allied  most  intimately  are  the  sales  departments  of  the  various 
subscribers  to  the  Southern  Pine  Association  and  the  Association's 
advertising  department.  Their  interests  are  identical,  their  activi- 
ties are  along  the  same  general  lines — they  are,  in  effect,  one. 
While  the  Association's  advertising  department  is  not  seeking  to 
push  the  product  of  any  one  lumber  manufacturer,  the  department 
in  a  general  way  is  engaged  in  precisely  the  same  work  that  en- 
gages the  talents  of  each  of  you  gentlemen — it  is  striving  with 
all  itsv  might  and  main  to  sell  Southern  Yellow  Pine.  Therefore,  the 
more  harmoniously  we  can  work  together— the  advertising  depart- 
ment in  stimulating  the  demand  for  Southern  Yellow  Pine  and  you  Sales  and 
gentlemen  in  satisfying  that  demand — the  more  effective  results  Department 
will  be.  The  Association  advertising  department  is  an  advance  Allies 
agent  for  you,  intent  upon  arousing  interest  in  your  product,  empha- 
sizing its  good  points,,  suggesting  new  uses  for  it,  paving  the  way 
for  you  and  your  order  book.  %Of  all  the  activities  of  the  Southern 
Pine  Association,  none  is  so  directly  important  to  you  as  the  work 
of  the  advertising  department.  That  being  true,  it  may  not  be 
amiss  to  give  you  some  brief  outline  of  what  that  department  has 
done,  what  it  is  doing  and  what  it  plans  to  do  to  promote  a  larger 
use  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine. 


328 


SELLING    LUMBER 


The  Divisions 
of  Advertising 
Activity 


The  Use  of 

Display 

Advertising 


The  Class  of 
Advertise- 
ments Used 


The  work  of  the  Association  advertising  department  may, 
in  a  general  way,  be  grouped  in  four  divisions :  ( 1 )  Display  ad- 
vertising, placed  in  periodicals  of  various  classes;  (2)  the  com- 
pilation and  publication  of  booklets,  pamphlets  and  other  pub- 
licity literature,  some  of  a  technical  character;  (3)  creating  and 
establishing  a  co-operative  service  for  retail  lumber  dealers,  and 
(4)  the  dissemination  of  special  articles,  or  "feature  stories," 
more  or  less  directly,  but  not  obtrusively,  exploiting  Southern 
Yellow  Pine  and  the  Southern  Pine  industry. 

The  display  advertising  used  has  been  directed  principally 
to  the  consumer.  At  the  beginning  of  the  advertising  campaign 
business  conditions  in  the  country  were  such  that  our  best  field 
for  prompt  results  seemed  to  be  the  rural  districts,  consequently 
the  major  portion  of  the  early  advertising  copy  was  addressed  to 
farmers  and  placed  in  farm  journals.  As  the  campaign  developed 
we  extended  our  effort  in  the  classes  of  periodicals  used,  taking 
in  architectural,  engineering  and  other  technical  journals,  the  lum- 
ber trade  papers,  numerous  magazines,  such  national  weeklies  as 
the  Saturday  Evening  Post,  Collier's  and  the  Country  Gentleman, 
and  in  a  few  special  instances  daily  newspapers  in  large  cities. 
The  total  circulation  of  all  publications  used  to  date  is  in  excess  of 
17,000,000,  and  the  greater  number  have  been  used  repeatedly.  Of 
the  total  circulation  of  these  various  publications,  the  magazines 
and  national  weeklies,  represent  5,800,000;  the  daily  papers,  565,- 
000;  architectural  and  builders'  journals,  130,000;  engineering  pa- 
pers, 128,000;  lumber  journals,  approximately  80,000  and  the  farm 
papers,  approximately  8,000,000. 

The  purpose  has  been  to  make  all  this  display  advertising 
forceful  and  direct,  avoiding  generalities.  In  the  farm  papers 
we  usually  have  directed  the  readers'  attention  to  one  building, 
or  one  class  of  buildings  in  each  ad,  urging  the  need  of  a  new 
barn  in  one,  a  silo  in  another,  grain  bins  and  cribs  in  another, 
etc.,  always  laying  stress  on  the  superior  qualities  of  Southern 
Yellow  Pine  for  farm  buildings.  In  the  technical  journals  we 
concentrated  in  one  advertisement  on  heavy  construction,  in  another 
on  the  Association's  inspection  service;  in  another,  as  on  the 
density  rule;  in  another,  on'  wood  block  floors,  etc.  The  lumber 
trade  journal  copy  has  been  devoted  to  impressing  upon  the  re- 
tail dealer  the  value  of  Southern  Pine  Association  service  in  its 
co-operative  features.  In  the  architectural  papers,  national  week- 
lies and  magazines  we  have  laid  stress  on  the  superior  strength 


SELLINGLUMBER  329 

and  durability  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  for  framing  and  exterior 
trim  in  building  generally,  its  adaptability  for  interior  trim  and 
finish,  its  moderate  cost  and  its  availability. 

In    supplementing    this    display    advertising    and    in    taking 
care  of  inquiries  provoked  by  it,  there  was  a  necessity  for  litera- 
ture containing  definite   and   detailed  help   and   information,   and     "Follow-Up" 
this  brings  us   to  the   second   division  of  the  advertising  depart-     Material 
ment's    work — the   booklets   and   other   "follow-up"   material   pre- 
pared. 

This  literature,  intended  ultimately  to  cover  every  phase  of 
building  and  every  use  of  wood,  was  designed  to  be  genuinely  in- 
formative, authoritative  and  helpful.  Whenever  technical  subjects 
were  treated,  the  department  enlisted  the  services  of  recognized 
authorities — engineers,  chemists,  architects,  foresters,  building  con- 
tractors, painters,  in  and  out  of  the  Government  service.  The 
purpose  was  not  only  to  familiarize,  the  public  with  the  superior 
qualities  of  Southern  Pine  but  to  teach  how  to  use  Southern  Yel- 
low Pine  intelligently. 

Since  the  work  of  the  Association  advertising  department  be- 
gan something  over  a  year  ago  more  than  sixty  separate  pieces 
of  advertising  literature  have  been  prepared.  This  material  ranges 
from  the  small  "Red  Light,"  which  you  doubtless  have  seen,  to 
the  revised  Southern  Yellow  Pine  Manual  with  ^ts  hundred  odd 
pages  of  scientific  data,  and  the  report  of  the  Association's  annual 
meeting  at  New  Orleans  last  February,  a  book  of  208  pages.  Num-  Treated^ 
bers  of  these  books  and  pamphlets  have  run  into  several  editions,  Many  Publi- 
so  that  the  number  of  all  forms  of  literature  distributed  to  the 
public  exceeds  a  total  of  780,000.  And  it  should  be  remembered 
that  this  distribution  has  been  made  with  the  most  careful  dis- 
crimination— not  a  booklet  or  a  pamphlet  was  sent  out  until  there 
was  evidence  it  would  reach  a  worthy  destination,  in  the  hands 
of  a  "live  prospect." 

In  the  Association  campaign  to  promote  the  use  of  Creosoted 
Southern  Yellow  Pine  wood  blocks,  .three  booklets  have  been 
issued  and  widely  distributed.  Two  of  these  have  to  do  with 
blocks  for  paving — on  city  streets,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  churches, 
hospitals,  schools,  hotels,  etc.,  where  a  noiseless  pavement  is  par- 
ticularly desirable.  The  third  wood  block  booklet  deals  with 
wood  block  floors  for  factories,  foundries,  mills,  machine  shops, 
docks,  etc.  There  is  abundant  evidence  that  these  booklets  have 


330  SELLING    LUMBER 

brought  important  results  in  influencing  municipal*  authorities, 
hospital  and  school  boards  and  builders  of  industrial  establishments 
to  adopt  wood  block  pavements  and  floors.  Of  the  two  booklets 
on  pavements — "What  the  Cities  Say  About  Creosoted  Wood 
Block  Pavements"  and  "Noise,  the  Nerve  Wrecker" — approxi- 
mately 15,000  each  have  been  distributed,  the  former  going  to 
municipal  authorities  and  the  latter  to  hospitals,  etc.  "Floors  of 
Service,"  the  third  booklet  of  the  creosoted  wood  block  series,  has 
been  used  to  take  care  of  inquiries  brought  by  advertisements  in 
factory  and  other  industrial  publications.  Something  like  10,000 
of  these  booklets  have  been  distributed  to  owners  of  manufactur- 
ing plants,  terminal  companies,  etc. 

Of  the  technical  booklets  issued  for  general  distribution  one 
of  the  most  valuable  is  that  entitled  "Directions  for  Finishing 
Southern  Yellow  Pine."  This  was  designed  to  correct  the  more 
or  less  prevalent  impression  that  Southern  Yellow  Pine  will  not 
take  and  hold  paint  satisfactorily,  and  therefore  is  unsuitable  for 
fine  exteriors  and  interior  finish  and  trim.  The  specifications  for 
A  Technical  Pa^n^nS"'  enameling,  staining  and  varnishing  printed  in  this  book- 
Work  on  let  were  the  joint  product  of  the  foremost  painting  experts  in 
Yellownpine  America,  including  the  government  authorities.  They  show  not 
only  that  Southern  Yellow  Pine  is  perfectly  suited  to  the  most 
exacting  uses  for  exteriors  and  interiors,  but  also  give  explicit 
directions  for  finishing,  including  instructions  for  treating  South- 
ern Yellow  Pine  edge-grain  floors.  Aside  from  the  pronounced 
influence  this  booklet  has  exerted  among  home  builders,  it  has 
been  an  eye-opener  to  hundreds  of  retail  lumber  dealers,  architects, 
building  contractors  and  painters  who  have  been  laboring  under 
the  delusion  that  your  product  is  "a  hard  wood  to  paint."  The 
"Directions  for  Finishing  Southern  Yellow  Pine"  is  one  of  the 
Association  publications  we  would  especially  recommend  to  the  pe- 
rusal of  you  gentlemen,  who  doubtless  frequently  heaf  that  time- 
worn  knock  on  the  material  you  are  selling. 

Of  all  the  publications  prepared  by  the  Association's  Ad- 
vertising Department  mention  of  the  most  important  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  manufacturer's  salesman  has  been  left  until  the 
last,  partly  because  this  material  has  to  do  with  the  third  general 
division  of  the  Advertising  Department's  campaign— the  Co-opera- 
tive Service  for  Retail  Lumber  Dealers. 

This  service  has  been  designed  not  only  to  assist  the  retail 
dealer  in  his  personal  efforts  to  increase  his  lumber  sales  in  his 


SELLINGLUMBER  331 

territory,  but  to  inform  him  fully  as  to  the  Southern  Pine  Asso- 
ciation's activities  in  promoting  and  increasing  the  use  of  Southern 
Yellow  Pine.  The  offer  of  the  Association  service  was  made  to 
the  dealers  through  the  retail  lumber  trade  journals,  and  this  was 
followed  up  by  sending  to  some  twenty  thousand  dealers  a  booklet 
specially  prepared  for  them  and  entitled  "The  Dealers'  Handbook 
of  Southern  Yellow  Pine."  This  booklet  gave  a  summary  of  what 
the  Association  was  doing  in  a  publicity  way,  mentioning  the  va- 
riety and  character  of  publications  used  for  display  advertising, 
enumerating  the  various  pieces  of  literature  issued  and  distributed 
to  the  consumer,  and  telling  what  this  literature  contained  of  an  portantAid 
educational  character.  Through  this  booklet  the  Association  of-  to  Salesmen 
fered  the  dealer  a  free  service  of  electrotyped  advertisements,  com- 
plete with  his  firm  name,  for  his  use  in  advertising  in  his  local 
newspaper ;  free  plans  and  lumber  bills  for  dwellings  and  numerous 
farm  buildings,  including  barns,  bins,  hog  houses,  sheds,  garages, 
poultry  houses  and  smaller  structures ;  free  folders  and  circulars 
suggesting  special  uses  for  Southern  Yellow  Pine  on  the  farm  and 
in  the  home,  these  to  be  supplied  in  any  quantity  and  to  be  dis- 
tributed to  his  trade  by  the  dealer.  The  handbook  also  contained 
a  number  of  form  letters  for  the  dealer's  use,  to  be  copied  and 
sent  out  in  circular  form  to  his  trade. 

About  400  retail  dealers  have  taken  advantage  of  the  offer  of 
free  advertising  cuts  for  use  in  their  local  papers.  The  first  of 
these  cuts  was  in  a  series  of  twelve,  and  many  of  the  dealers  used 
all  of  them,  some  repeating  them  one  or  more  times.  Twenty-five 
states  were  represented  in  the  use  of  cuts  by  dealers.  Of  the 
house  and  farm  plans  120,000  have  been  distributed,  and  of  the  fold- 
ers and  circulars  dealers  have  ordered  and  sent  to  their  trade  more 
than  160,000.  This  literature  for  dealer  distribution  has  recently 
been  added  to  by  the  publication  of  a  booklet  of  thirty-two  pages, 
entitled  "A  Hundred  Handy  Helps,"  which  contains,  as  its  name 
implies,  one  hundred  suggestions,  illustrated,  for  home-made  con-  Used  Cuts 
veniences  and  labor  saving  devices  that  any  farmer  may  make  of 
Southern  Yellow  Pine.  This  booklet,  bearing  the  dealer's  name 
on  the  front  cover  and  his  own  advertisement  on  the  back,  is  sup- 
plied at  cost,  which  in  quantities  amounts  to  something  less  than 
6  cents  each.  Numerous  dealers  already  have  signified  their  de- 
sire to  obtain  and  distribute  large  quantities  of  these.  The  litera- 
ture of  this  character  will  be  added  to  from  time  to  time,  the  series 


332 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Service 
to  Be 
Extended 


Special 
Articles 
Boosting 
the  Industry 


Little  Malice 
in  Printed 
Attacks 


of  advertising  cuts  for  dealers'  use  will  be  extended,  and  the 
co-operative  service  increased  and  elaborated.  In  its  effort  to 
foster  the  spirit  of  co-operation  between  the  Southern  Yellow  Pine 
manufacturer  and  the  retail  lumber  dealer,  the  Association  recently 
entertained  at  southern  Yellow  Pine  mills,  representatives  of  a 
number  of  retail  dealers'  associations,  giving  these  visitors  an  op- 
portunity to  study  methods  of  logging,  and  the  manufacture,  grad- 
ing and  shipping  of  Southern  Pine.  That  these  dealers  were  im- 
pressed by  what  the  Association  members  were  striving  to  accom- 
plish in  eliminating  misunderstandings  and  disagreements  between 
manufacturer  and  retailer  was  evidenced  by  the  visiting  dealers 
asserting,  unanimously  and  entirely  on  their  own  initiative,  that 
their  future  business  would,  when  possible,  be  given  to  manufac- 
turers identified  with  the  Southern  Pine  Association. 

The  fourth  division  of  the  Association's  publicity  campaign — 
the  dissemination  of  special  articles  concerning  Southern  Pine  and 
the  Southern  lumber  industry — has  been  unique  in  the  annals  of 
advertising  in  some  respects.  We  all  know  that  the  attitude  of  the 
public  prints  toward  lumber  and  lumber  industry  has  been  anything 
but  friendly  in  years  past,  judged  by  the  thousands  of  uncompli- 
mentary and  harmful  statements  that  have  found  their  way  into 
print.  Newspapers  and  magazines  of  wide  circulation  and  influ- 
ence seemed  to  take  a  vicious  delight  in  maligning  lumber,  glibly 
referring  to  the  "lumber  trust,"  "the  exorbitant  prices  charged  for 
lumber,"  "the  devastation  of  the  forests  by  the  ruthless  lumber 
interests,"  "the  reckless  fire  hazard  in  building  with  wood" — all 
of  the  misstatements  and  abuse  made  familiar  by  constant  repeti- 
tion. A  friendly  comment  about  the  product  or  the  industry  was 
so  rare  as  to  be  sensational,  to  lumbermen  at  least.  So  persistent 
and  long  continued  had  been  this  attitude  of  publishers  that  every 
one  connected  with  the  lumber  industry  had  concluded  that  the 
press  was  unalterably  "agin"  lumber. 

The  Association's  advertising  department  early  in  the  publicity 
campaign  undertook  to  remedy  this  state  of  affairs,  at  least  in 
some  degree.  The  results  were  surprising.  It  was  found  that 
many  newspapers  and  magazines  were  antagonistic  to  lumber  solely 
because  that  attitude  seemed  the  popular  and  proper  one;  others 
gave  space  to  unjust  abuse  of  lumber  because  no  one  had  ever 
appeared  to  defend  lumber.  The  Association  advertising  depart- 
ment soon  was  convinced  that  there  was  little  malice  in  the  printed 


SELLINGLUMBER  333 

attacks  on  lumber  so  far  as  the  publications  were  concerned,  and 
that  editors  were  just  as  willing  to  print  pleasant  things  when 
they  came  from  a  dependable  source. 

The  consequence  has  been  that  hundreds  of  educational  articles 
friendly  to  lumber  and  the  lumber  industry  have  been  placed  with 
the  most  influential  publications  in  the  country  in  the  last  fifteen 
months.  These  artitcles  have  appeared  in  newspapers,  popular 
magazines,  architectural  and  engineering  journals,  trade  papers, 
religious  weeklies,  representative  farm  papers — practically  every  Hundreds 
class  of  publication  in  circulation.  Some  of  the  articles  contained  9*  Friendly 
only  indirect  reference  to  Southern  Yellow  Pine  and  were  designed 
with  the  sole  purpose  of  creating  a  friendly  feeling  for  lumber  and 
the  lumber  industry;  others  could  not  have  been  more  definitely 
advertisements  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  if  they  had  been  set  in 
display  type  and  run  as  paid  advertising. 

In  conclusion,  I  hope  you  lumber  salesmen  will  permit  me  to 
urge  upon  you  the  importance  of  the  Association's  advertising 
campaign  to  you,  individually  and  collectively.  I  don't  know 
whether  you  gentlemen  have  read  the  publicity  literature  issued  by 
the  Association  or  have  noted  closely  the  display  advertising  and 
special  stories  placed  in  the  various  classes  of  publications.  If 
you  have  not,  the  subscribers  to  the  Association — your  employers  Thelmport- 
and  mine — are  not  getting  full  value  from  us  in  organization  team  *nce  of.  . 
work.  This  publicity  material  is  designed  to  assist  each  and  every  to  Salesmen, 
one  of  you  in  selling  lumber,  it  is  paid  for  by  your  employers, 
and  if  you  do  not  keep  in  close  touch  with  it  you  cannot  reap  the 
full  benefit  from  it.  Every  statement  made  in  Association  ad- 
vertisements, every  technical  point  brought  out  in  the  various 
booklets  and  pamphlets  issued  by  the  Association,  every  feature  of 
Association  service  for  the  retail  dealer,  is  a  selling  argument  for 
the  product  of  your  mill. 

In   this  last   feature  alone — that  of   co-operative  service  for 
the   dealer — you  have  a  talking  point   of   which   the   importance 
cannot  be   overestimated.      The   members   of   the    Southern    Pine    One  of 
Association — your    employers — are    responsible    for    this    service.   ^0 
The  dealer  should  realize  that  the  Southern  Pine  Association   is    Points 
working  harder  and  spending  more  money  than  any  other  organiza- 
tion in  America  to  increase  his  lumber  sales.     The  Association  not 
only  is   supplying  him   with   a   free  advertising  service,   including 


334 


SELLING    LUMBER 


Work  for 
the  Retailer's 
Benefit 


The  Origin 
of  Standard 
Grades 


cuts,  booklets,  plans,  pamphlets,  folders,  form  letters,  etc.,  but  it  is 
buying  space  in  the  highest  priced  publications  in  the  country  and 
through  them  teaching  consumers  in  his  territory  the  intelligent 
use  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  suggesting  new  uses  for  lumber, 
stimulating  business — sending  trade  to  his  yard.  Southern  Pine 
Association  chemists  are  studying  wood  preservation,  fire  retard- 
ents,  the  fungi,  and  insects  destructive  to  wood,  for  his  benefit. 
Southern  Pine  Association  engineers  are  testing  southern  Pine 
under  all  conditions  of  service  and  establishing  accurate 
grading  formulas  to  his  advantage.  Southern  Yellow  Pine  archi- 
tects are  drawing  plans  for  homes,  farm  buildings — wood  struc- 
tures of  every  description — for  his  use  and  profit.  Representa- 
tives of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  are  fighting  anti-shingle 
legislation,  participating  in  city  paving  campaigns,  distributing 
literature  at  county  fairs,  conducting  exhibitions  at  builders'  con- 
ventions— all  to  the  end  that  the  retail  dealer's  business  shall  be 
protected  and  increased. 

These  things  should  be  impressed  upon  every  retail  lumber 
dealer  in  this  country — and  you  gentlemen  certainly  will  find  it  to 
your  advantage  to  hammer  in  that  impression,  to  talk  Association 
service  to  your  trade  insistently.  That  will  be  possible,  however, 
only  in  case  you  are  yourselves  familiar  with  just  what  this  Asso- 
ciation co-operative  service  is. 


The  Density  Rule 

By  J.  E.  Jones 

Chief  Inspector,  Southern  Pine  Association 

New  Orleans,  La. 

The  subject  of  this  paper  is  the  so-called  "Density  Rule," 
but  that  my  position  may  be  readily  understood,  will  say  that  T 
am  not  an  engineer,  therefore  my  remarks  will  be  along  the  lines 
of  an  inspector  rather  than  that  of  an  engineer. 

A  rule  for  the  inspection  of  Yellow  Pine  timbers  for  struc- 
tural purposes  where  strength  is  the  greatest  factor  has  been  a 
long  sought  necessity.  The  standardization  of  the  manufacture 
and  grading  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  originated  about  twenty 
years  ago  in  the  Southern  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association, 


SELLINGLUMBER  335 

which  organization  was  succeeded  by  the  Yellow  Pine  Manufact- 
urers' Association  and  then  by  the  Southern  Pine  Association. 
These  organizations  were  always  in  the  lead  in  this  work,  but 
during  this  time  the  standardization  of  manufacture  and  grading 
was  undertaken  by  the  Atlantic  Coast  Association,  which  origin- 
ated what  are  known  as  the  Interstate  Rules  of  1905.  All  of  these 
rules  were  based  on  a  permissible  maximum  number  of  defects 
and  disregarded  entirely  the  strength  and  durability  of  the  wood. 
Hence,  we  have  such  grades  as  Standard,  Merchantable  and  Prime 
on  the  Atlantic  Coast,  and  the  old  grades  of  No.  1  Common  and 
No.  2  Common,  in  the  central  portion  of  the  Yellow  Pine  bearing 
district. 

These  rules  do  not  provide  for  the  necessities   of  architects 
and    engineers    in    all    cases,    inasmuch    as    they    do    not    fix    any   old  Rules 
strength  value,  and  it  is  principally  strength  and  durability  with   NotSatis- 
which  structural  experts  are  concerned.  actory 

As  a  result  of  these  unscientific  grading  rules  it  has  been 
difficult  to  procure  a  satisfactory  material,  having  a  dependable  and 
uniformly  measureable  strength. 

The  term,  "Commercial  Long  Leaf"  is  often  used  in  specifi- 
cations  for  structural  material.     The  employment  of   such  terms 
as  "Long  Leaf"  and  "Short  Leaf"  in  an  effort  to  segregrate  qual- 
ity classes  is  not  only  ineffective,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  there  is 
a  very   wide  and  over-lapping  margin   of   quality   in   the   several 
Southern  Pine  species,  but  also  leads  to  considerable  confusion  and    "Long  Leaf" 
loss  of  money  in  cases  under  dispute,  since  it  is  practically  impo?-   "Short  Leaf 
sible  to  determine  the  species  from  a  visual  examination  of  manu-    Confusing 
factured  timbers;  the  only  absolute  method  for  the  determination 
of  the  different  species  is  by  microscopical  examination  which  in- 
volves too  much  labor  and  expense  for  general  use  by  lumbermen. 

Realizing  the  necessity  for  the  determination  of  the  strength 
bearing  qualities  of  the  various  types  of  timber  the  U.  S.  Forest 
Service   undertook    a   series   of   tests    calculated   to    establish    the 
fact  that  the  strength  of  Yellow  Pine  is  dependent  upon  its  specific 
gravity  and  density,  or  rate  of  growth.     The  Forest  Service  pro-  The  Forest 
ceeded  upon  the   theory  that   any  grading   rules   which   it   might  Service  Sought 
recommend,  based  upon  this  premise,  should  be  simple,  while  at  w 
the  same  time  they  should  exclude  all  material  that  should  not  be 
used  in  mill  construction  with  the  fiber  stress  recommended  for 
the  grade,   while  not   excluding  more  than  a  reasonable   amount 


336 


SELLING    LUMBER 


Determining 
the  Factor 
of  Density 


Choosing  an 
Area  for 
Measurement 


Color  in 
Summer  and 
Spring  Wood 


of  material  properly  belonging  in  the  grade,  from  the  standpoint 
of  strength. 

It  was  found  from  extensive  tests  that  the  strength  of  wood 
depends  upon  its  density,  or  rate  of  growth,  defects  and  moisture 
content,  and  as  the  specific  gravity  or  dry  weight  increases,  the 
strength  also  increases  in  a  fairly  uniform  manner. 

The  factor  of  density  is  determined  by  making  use  of  the 
varying  proportions  of  summer  wood  and  spring  wood,  or  hard 
and  dark  rings  as  compared  with  the  light  and  soft  rings,  of  the 
different  timbers.  It  was  therefore  decided  to  establish,  as  the 
requirements  necessary  to  comply  with  the  rules,  six  rings  per 
inch,  with  one-third  summer  wood;  pieces  having  less  than  six: 
rings  per  inch  may  be  accepted,  provided  the  summer  wood  is 
one-half  or  more. 

It  would  be  entirely  impractical,  from  standpoint  of  time,  for 
an  inspector  to  consider  a  whole  cross  section  in  estimating  the 
density  of  summer  wood  in  the  larger  size  timber.  It  would  also 
be  impossible,  in  a  large  number  of  cases,  for  him  to  accurately 
estimate  the  summer  wood  in  the  whole  portion  of  the  piece,  on 
account  of  the  fineness  of  the  rings  in  that  portion  of  the  timber 
lying  nearest  the  bark.  In  order  that  this  difficulty  might  be 
overcome  it  was  decided  to  use  for  estimating  the  summer  wood, 
the  zone  including  the  3,  4  and  5  inches  from  the  pith  center. 
This  portion  is  the  most  easily  measured  or  estimated  and  fairly 
represents  the  entire  cross  section.  Measurements  were  made  of 
200  trees  selected  by  the  forest  service  from  various  places  in 
the  South.  The  proportion  of  summer  wood  in  the  3,  4  and  5 
inches  average  about  the  same  as  the  proportion  of  summer  wood 
in  the  entire  cross  section,  very  few  trees  showing  any  marked 
difference,  so  it  is  apparently  entirely  just  to  use  the  3,  4  and  5 
inches  from  the  pith  center  as  the  criterion  of  the  entire  cross 
section  of  the  stick. 

Contrast  in  color  of  summer  wood  and  spring  wood  is  an- 
other prime  factor  in  the  determination  of  strength.  It  was  found 
from  numerous  tests  that  in  the  heavier  and  stronger  material 
the  contrast  between  the  summer  and  spring  wood  increased  in 
proportion  to  its  strength.  The  contrast  may  be  classified  as 
sharp,  medium  and  poor.  Material  of  medium  or  poor  contrast  of 
color  between  summer  and  spring  wood  should  not  be  admitted 
where  greatest  strength  is  required,  unless  the  proportion  of  sum 


SELLINGLUMBER  337 

mer    wood    is    considerably    in    excess   of    the    minimum    require- 
ments. 

The  density  requirements  for  first  grade  select  structural 
material  then  becomes  six  rings  per  inch  with  one-third  summer 
wood  in  the  3,  4  and  5  inches  from  the  pith  center.  Wide  ring 
material  not  coming  within  this  rule  may  be  accepted,  provided 
the  amount  of  dark  or  summer  wood  be  one-half  or  more. 

Modifications   for  this   requirement  are  provided   for   in   the 

grading  rules,  where  the  pith  center  is  not  contained  in  the  stick  Modifications 

measured,  or  where  the  material   is  comparatively   a   small  cross  of  the 

section.  Requirements 

Parenthetically,  it  may  be  said  that  some  dealers,  through 
selfish  motives,  have  sought  to  evade  the  explicit  requirements  of 

the  "Density  Rule"  by  counting  the  individual  ring  of  spring  and 

,.       .  An  iLiifort  to 

summer  wood  as  indicating  total  annual  growth — that  is,  one  ring   Misconstrue 

of  either  representing  a  year's  increase;  whereas,  as  a  matter  of   theRule 
fact,  one  ring  of  summer  wood  and  one  ring  of  spring  wood  taken 
together  should  be  counted  as  one  year's  growth. 

It  will  be  noted  that  this  measurement  of  strength  makes  no 
distinction  between  the  botanical  species  of  Southern  Yellow  Piue. 
The  tests  have  shown,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  that  there  is  no  differ-  Botanical 
ence  whatever  in  strength  qualities  when  the  material  shows  the  Considered* 
required  density  of  growth.     Therefore,  it  is  entirely  possible  for 
timbers  of  short  leaf  or  loblolly  pine  to  possess  the  measure  of 
strength  requisite  for  ordinary  structural  purposes. 

The  dependability  of  this  measure  of  strength  was  thoroughly 
established  by  the  forestry  department  before  it  was  given  pub- 
licity.    The  American  Society  for  Testing  Materials  had  already 
devoted  much  time  and  study  to  the  problem  of  accurately  grad- 
ing structural  timbers  for  strength  qualities,  and  that  organization    pormay 
was  quick  to  realize  the  practicability  of  the  Forest  Service  rule,    Adopted  as 
and  after  a  thorough  analysis  of  the  rule  gave  it  its  formal  adop-    Stan(Jard 
tion  as  standard.     The  engineers  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association 
also   quickly   recognized   its   practical   value   and   placed   their   en- 
dorsement on  it.     The  simplicity  of  the  rule  has   since  won  the 
unqualified  approval  of  many  of  the  foremost  structural  experts 
of  the  country. 

The  Density  Rule  has  been  accepted  and  endorsed  by  the 
American  Railway  Engineering  Association,  the  Illinois  Society  of 


338 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  New 
Rule  Received 
with 
Enthusiasm 


The  Rule 

Eliminates 

Guesswork 


Mill- 
Constructed 
Buildings 
Are 
Flexible 


Mixed  Timber 
Quality  Hurts 
Prices 


Architects,  by  the  New  Orleans  Dock  Board,  by  the  U.  S.  Navy 
Department  and  various  building  code  commissions. 

The  new  rule  has  been  brought  to  the  attention  of»  architects 
and  engineers  throughout  the  country  through  the  advertising  of 
the  Southern  Pine  Association,  and  it  has  been  enthusiastically  re- 
ceived by  the  professional  builders  everywhere,  as  providing  the 
first  accurate  and  practical  method  ever  devised  for  determining, 
with  ease  and  certainty,  the  actual  dependability  of  Southern  Yel- 
low Pine  Timber  required  to  sustain  definite  loads. 

The  Density  Rule  removes  Southern  Yellow  Pine  structural 
timbers  from  the  class  of  speculative  material,  and  provides  a 
measure  of  strength  value  that  eliminates  guesswork.  It  is  a 
recognized  fact  that  the  type  of  building  construction  known  as 
"Standard  Mill"  possesses  advantages  not  equaled  by  any  other 
type  of  construction  when  used  for  factory,  warehouses  and  other 
commercial  purposes.  These  advantages  are  economy  in  cost  of 
construction,  and  a  very  high  degree  of  fire  resistance  when  built 
and  equipped  with  automatic  sprinklers,  as  specified  by  the  Asso- 
ciated Factory  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Companies. 

One  of  the  greatest  advantages  of  this  type  of  construction 
is  that  such  buildings  are  flexible;  they  can  be  easily  altered  for 
different  kinds  of  occupancy.  This  fact  was  clearly  demonstrated 
in  the  demolishing  and  rebuilding  of  the  Albert  Dickinson  Com- 
pany's warehouses  in  Chicago.  Every  piece  of  Southern  Yellow 
Pine  was  re-used  in  the  new  building  after  having  been  in  use  in 
the  old  building  for  more  than  twenty  years. 

The  Density  Rule  is  a  guarantee  to  the  architects  and  en 
gineers  that  their  specifications  will  be  carried  out;  the  more 
definite  it  is  possible  to  make  grading  rules  or  the  closer  it  is 
possible  to  classify  structural  material  from  the  standpoint  of 
strength,  the  more  satisfactorily  it  can  be  used  by  the  engineer 
and  the  more  likely  will  be  the  producer  to  obtain  a  reasonable 
price  for  his  product. 

The  mixing  of  timbers,  varying  in  strength,  of  course,  makes 
it  necessary  for  the  engineer  .to  design  on  the  basis  of  the  weakest 
material  he  is  liable  to  find  in  the  lot,  and  on  that  basis  he  is  only 
willing  to  pay  the  price  of  the  weakest  material. 

The  uncertainty  attending  the  use  of  timbers  in  the  past 
has  often  established  a  prejudice  against  their  use,  and  in  instances 
where,  had  the  element  of  uncertainty  of  quality  been  removed. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


339 


every  consideration  of  economy,  adaptability  and  service,  naturally 
recommended  the  use  of  timbers. 

Is  it  then  any  wonder  that  the  Density  Rule  should  strongly 
appeal  to  the  engineers  and  architects?  The  simple,  effective  and 
accurate  standard  of  measurements  of  strength,  by  which  the  de 
signer  of  a  structure  may  protect  himself  from  future  criticism, 
because  of  failures  due  to  material  lacking  in  the  qualities  they 
were  reasonably  expected  to  possess,  must  be  a  source  of  gratifi- 
cation indeed,  to  him. 

It  must,  however,  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Density  Rule  is  a 
measurement  of  strength  only,  and  has  no  reference  to  durability. 
Where  durability  is  of  gravest  importance  consideration  should  be 
given  to  the  heart  contents  of  the  material  used. 

In  closing  these  few  remarks  I  wish  to  say  to  you  gentle 
men,  as  salesmen,  a  great  responsibility  rests  upon  you  and  a  great 
field  of  endeavor  lies  before  you.  Acquaint  yourselves  with  the 
product  you  are  handling  and  let  vour  efforts  be  to  supply  your 
customers  with  the  material  best  suited  to  their  needs.  Select 
structural  material  as  recommended  by  the  Southern  Pine  Associa- 
tion is  intended  for  use  where  greatest  strength  is  required.  In 
specifying  material  the  advantages  connected  with  the  use  of  com- 
mercial grades  should  be  considered  and  the  commercial  grades 
adhered  to  as  long  as  it  is  certain  that  material  selected  under 
such  rules  will  meet  the  requirements. 


Density  Rule 
Measures 
Strength  Only 


340 


SELLING    LUMBER 


Captain  White 
Has  "Come 
Back" 


Setting  the 
New  Minister 
Right 


The  Lumber  Salesman  and 
His  Possibilities 

By  Capt.  J.  B.  White 

President,  Missouri  Lumber  and  Land  Exchange 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

I  am  mighty  glad  to  see  such  a  large  and  intelligent  audience  be- 
fore me.  I  wish  I  were  equal  to  the  occasion.  In  a  certain  sense  I 
have  come  back.  The  last  thing  I  remember  when  I  passed  on  was 
that  a  number  of  us  were  condemned,  sentenced  and  fined  for  a 
large  sum  of  money  for  advising  curtailment,  and  for  attempting  to 
agree  upon  some  efficient  plan,  because  either  that  we  were  not 
understood  or  that  our  attorneys  did  not  understand  the  law. 
What  I  said  was  intended  to  be  in  the  interest  of  national  conser- 
vation of  timber  resources.  And  I  said  no  more — and  I  didn't 
say  it  as  well  as  it  was  said  to  you  by  General  Boyle  here  today — 
but  unintentionally  violated  a  state  law.  He  told  you  that  you 
ought  to  save  the  trees;  you  should  save  the  lumber;  you  should 
practice  economy;  think  of  the  marketing  of  a  large  part  of  the 
product  in  the  utilization  of  the  waste;  and  that  you  should  see 
that  there  was  more  still  coming  for  future  generations ;  in  short, 
that  you  should  curtail  your  extravagance,  which  applies  to  lumber 
men  who  are  here  today;  to  those  who  are  not  lumber  salesmen, 
but  who  are  manufacturers  and  owners  of  the  forest. 

Now,  times  are  changed;  surely  times  have  changed  since  I 
was  on  earth  before.  (Laughter.) 

Now,  gentlemen,  my  subject  is,  according  to  the  program, 
'The  Lumber  Salesman  and  His  Possibilities."  I  shall  stick  pretty 
close  to  that  text,  because  I  remember  that  down  in  the  Ozarks 
where  I  came  from  there  was  a  Baptist  minister,  a  young  Baptist 
minister,  who  had  been  to  college  and  had  taken  his  degree,  and 
came  to  the  Ozarks,  and  didn't  preach  exactly  as  his  predecessor 
had  preached.  He  lectured,  in  a  way,  he  illustrated,  in  a  way, 
from  common  things ;  and  one  day  a  committee  called  on  him  and 
said:  "Now,  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  your  flock  here,  they 
like  your  lectures;  they  like  the  way  you  talk;  they  like  your 
illustrations;  but  they  have  been  in  the  habit  all  through  their 
lives  of  having  a  text  given  them,  and  the  preacher  keeping  to  his 
text.  Now,  they  don't  want  you  to  be  offended.  They  like  you, 
but  they  wish  that  you  would  give  them  the  text  and  then  stick  to 


SELLING    LUMBER  341 

it."  So  he  stated  that  he  would}  try  to  conform  to  their  wishes, 
and  at  the  close  of  that  meeting  he  stated,  "My  subject  next  Sun- 
day will  be,  'You  can't  keep  a  good  man  down/  and  the  text 
will  be  given  at  the  beginning  of  the  service  next  Sunday,  and  I 
will  try  to  stick  to  my  text."  The  next  Sunday  came,  and  a  great 
many  people  went  to  church  because  they  wanted  to  know  what 
text  in  the  Bible  would  refer  in  the  remotest  way  to  the  thought 
that  you  couldn't  keep  a  good  man  down.  He  had  a  larger  con- 
gregation than  ever,  and  he  said,  "My  subject  is,  'You  can't  keep  a 
good  man  down.'  My  text  is,  'And  the  whale  swallowed  Jonah 
and  spewed  him  up  on  dry  land/  ):  (Laughter.)  Then  he  went  on 
with  a  very  eloquent  sermon,  and  it  was  correct,  because  the 
text  was  correct,  and  because  the  text  related  so  closely  to  his 
subject. 

Now,  my  text  is,  "The  Lumber  Salesman  and  His  Possibili- 
ties."    There  are  a  great  many  possibilities   for  a  good   lumber 
salesman.     The  only  question  is,  are  you  salesmen,  or  are  you  just 
order  takers?     Now,  I  believe  that  you  are  salesmen.     I  have  a 
way  of  telling.     I  have  a  way  of  knowing.     You  can  tell  by  the  for'the*  * 
way  I  have  selected  my  salesmen.    There  are  twenty  of  them  right   Lumber 
in  here  (laughter  and  applause)  ;  and  I  can  pass  the  same  compli- 
ment all  around,  I  believe.     Now,  a  salesman  has  a  great  many 
trials;  he  has  a  great  many  possibilities.     For,  in  every  work  in 
life  where  there  are  trials  there  are  great  possibilities  to  overcome 
those  trials;  so  that  it  is  an'  axiom  that  wherever  you  have  great 
trials  and  perplexities  you  will  have  great  possibilities  in  propor- 
tion to  your  trials.     I  honestly  believe  that  every  good  salesman 
is  a  real  honest,  good,  Christian  man,  for  I  don't  believe  it  possible 
for  a  man  to  go  out  and  succeed  through  life  as  a  salesman  unless 
he  is  a  real  good  man;  and  I  believe  that  when  you  come  to  St. 
Peter's  gate  you  will  be  asked  what  you  were  here  on  earth,  per- 
haps not  in  these  same  terms  and  not  as  given  to  the  candidate  The  Salesman 
yesterday  afternoon  who  passed  such  a  creditable  examination,  but   Gate* 
you  will  be  admitted  because  you  have  been,  as  you  will  say,  a 
yellow  pine  salesman  on  earth.     St.  Peter  will  say  to  you,  "Just 
step  in.     Take  a  seat  a  little  above  the  men  you  have  been  working 
for,  for  you  have  had  your  hell  on  earth."     (Applause.)     Now,  I 
think  that  is  very  true.    I  think  that  the  men  that  you  are  working 
for  ought  to  be  here  today  and  look  right  in  your  faces;  and  if 
they  were  here  today  they  would  not  humiliate  you,  they  would 


342 


SELLING    LUMBER 


The  Manufac- 
turer a  Former 
Retailer 


Lack  of  Sup- 
port for  the 
Salesman 


not  discredit  you  when  you,  so  hopefully  and  cheerfully,  in  the 
morning  go  out  to  get  orders,  loyally  working  for  your  employers. 
If  they  could  look  into  our  faces  now  they  never  would  embarrass 
you  by  putting  a  hundred  cars  in  transit  the  next  day. 

A  Voice:     You  are  right!     (Applause.) 

Captain  White :  They  send  you  out  to  do  their  work ;  and  the 
reason  that  you  are  not  closer  to  your  employer  is  because  your 
employer  did  not  grow  up  from  a  salesman  to  be  the  owner  and 
manufacturer  of  his  forests.  He  grew  up  from  a  retail  lumber 
dealer;  and  there  is  a  great  deal  of  difference  in  the  mental  atti- 
tude of  a  salesman  who  is  trying  to  sell  to  the  retailer  and  that 
of  the  retailer  who  is  buying  ©f  the  salesman.  They  are  antipodes ; 
they  are  at  sword's  points,  so  to  speak;  but  it  is  true;  and  you 
can  think  of  a  good  many  of  them  that  have  gone  from  the  retail 
to  the  manufacturing  business.  The  largest  mills  in  the  country, 
you  take  the  Fullerton  Lumber.  Company,  the  Long-Bell-  Lumber 
Company,  and  you  needn't  excuse  me ;  I  was  a  retailer  who  got  to 
be  a  manufacturer — and  there  is  naturally  a  little  difference  of 
mental  attitude  between  the  retailer  who  has  always  been  buying 
from  the  salesman,  and  then  when  he  finally  gets  into  manufactur- 
ing and  owns  a  mill,  he  looks  with  a  little  different  attitude  than 
he  would  upon  his  salesmen,  because  he  has  never  been  a  sales- 
man. He  doesn't  know  the  trials ;  he  doesn't  know  the  psycholog- 
ical requirements  in  a  salesman,  and  you  don't  always  get  the 
proper  support;  naturally,  he  don't  give  you  the  support  that  he 
would  if  he  was  in  closer  touch  with  you.  Now,  this  doesn't  apply 
equally  to  all  retailers,  to  all  manufacturers;  it  applies  more  to 
some  than  it  does  to  others;  but  in  a  sense  it  is  true.  Why,  I 
had  some  salesmen  out,  and  there  was  150  carloads  of  lumber  let 
loose  in  transit  from  other  mills  all  bearing  one  date,  just  as  my 
salesmen  were  getting  ready  to  do  some  business  over  in  the  east 
here.  Now  that,  of  course,  lowered  the  price.  A  great  many  of 
the  dealers  would  say,  of  course,  "Here  is  a  lot  of  lumber  offered 
me,  in  transit  here,  so  and  so;  you  can  see  what  it  is  right  here; 
so  much  of  this;  so  much  of  that,"  and  it  lowers  the  price,  even 
if  he  don't  buy;  but  if  he  does  buy  at  a  lower  price,  it  has  cer- 
tainly lowered  the  price  in  that  locality.  And  the  law  is  such  that 
you  can't  find  out  anything  about  where  this  lumber  came  from. 
In  many  cases  your  own  employers  put  that  lumber  in  transit. 
That  is  a  fact.  (Applause.)  And  you  know  it.  You  should  be 
better  supported  at  home.  (Applause.) 


SELLINGLUMBER  343 

Now,  I  don't  know  what  all  the  things  are  that  are  necessary 
in  a  good  salesman.    We  saw  a  list  of  the  requirements  last  night, 
that    Mr.    Woodhead    passed.     Now    there    were    twenty-three — 
twenty-three   questions   necessary   to   pass    100   per   cent   efficient. 
That  is  a  sort  of  a  skiddoo  number — twenty-three.      (Laughter.) 
And   I   would  cut  it  down,   in  order  to  give  them   all  a  chance, 
and  I  think  it  would  be  just  as  hard,  for  us.    I  would  take  two,  the   Cutting  Down 
first  two — health,  energy  and  industry ;  I  would  then  take  courtesy ;   Efficiency 
I   would  then  take  truthfulness   and  honesty;   and  then   I   would 
take  wisdom,  love  and  courage ;  and  if  I  cut  out  the   first  four 
I  would  leave  wisdom,  love  and  courage.     I  would  not  have  more 
than  seven.     As  the  fellow  said  when  he  went  fishing:     "Some 
people  take  a  medicine  chest,  but  all  I  take  is  a  box  of  pills  and 
a   jug   of   whiskey."      I    would   not   be   burdened   with   so    many 
definitions.     It  makes  it  hard  for  the  infant  class.     (Laughter.) 
Not  many  people  would  pass  as  the  candidate  did  yesterday.     (Ap- 
plause.)    And  one  of  my  best  salesmen  came  to  me  this  morning 
and  said,  "I  don't  know  about  that  examination.     Do  you  think  it 
is  possible  for  a  man  to  be  75  per  cent  efficient?"    "Well,"  I  said, 
"of  course  it  is  by  comparison,  efficiency  largely  is.     He  might  be 
75  per  cent  efficient,  as  compared  to  some  other  fellow ;  or  he  might 
be  81-1/3,  or  something  of  that  kind" — as   I  think  that  was  the   Orde^After 
correct  figure  that  Mr.  Woodhead  passed  on  yesterday.  But,  wisdom,    Three  Tries 
love  and  courage;  I  think  that  if  a  man  is  wise,  and  then  I  think 
that  if  he  has  got  love  in  his  heart  for  his  fellow  man  and  wants 
to  do  right  that  he  will  get  up  in  the  morning  and  he  will  do 
right  all  day.    My  salesman  this  morning  said  that  he  was  a  little 
discouraged,  because  it  took  him  three  times  to  land  a  man.     He 
went  out  the  first  time  in  the  morning  and  saw  him  and  couldn't 
sell  him  a  car;  and  went  for  the  second  time;  and  he  was  dis- 
couraged, and  said,  "I  wonder  what  is  the  matter  with  me;  what 
on  earth  ails  me?     I  ought  to  land  that  man."     So  he  went  back 
the  third  time  in  the  afternoon,  with  more  courage,  more  persist-  Makingit 
ence  and  with  a  whole  lot  of  love  for  the  welfare  of  that  man,    Easy  for 
and  he  landed  the  order.     So,  don't  show  your  discouragement.     I        *  Smith 
think  that  a  man  can  go  into  a  lumber  yard  a  good  deal  like  this, 
with  full  confidence  and  courage  and  wisdom  as  to  what  was  best 
to  do,  thoroughly  wise  in  regard  to  his  lumber  knowledge;  and 
the  salesman  fully  fortified  with  love  and  courage  would  say,  "Mr. 
Smith,  let's  walk  out  into  your  yard."     And  he  would  walk  out 


344  SELLING    LUMBER 

with  Mr.  Smith,  and  he  would  say,  "Well,  now,  I  see  you  are 
short  on  2x4 — 16',  and  he  marks  it  down;  and  goes  along,  and 
then  there  is  some  ceiling;  "you  need  some  ceiling,  too.  Is  that 
all  you  have  got  there  ?  "  And  he  marks  it  down.  He  goes  along, 
and  "Here;  is  this  all  you  have  got  of  this  vertical  grained  floor- 
ing?" And  Smith  indicates  that  it  is.  He  don't  give  Smith  much 
time  to  talk  as  he  puts  it  down.  And  he  says,  "You  keep  your 
yard  up  in  elegant  shape.  I  never  saw  a  better  shed,  and  things 
.  ..  kept  up  so  clean;  no  litter  at  all;  and,  by  the  way,  I  see  you  need 

Becoming  some  finish."    And  then  he  says,  "Now,  Mr.  Smith,  just  sign  your 

Unfashionable    namg  right  here  ,,     w^  if  you  haye  gQt  that  abmty  tQ  gQ  around 

and  size  up  the  needs  of  your  lumber  man  and  ask  him  to  sign 
his  name  right  here,  he  might  stare  at  you  a  little  bit,  because 
it  is  unusual;  but  you  might  do  it.  If  you  don't  do  it  to  the  full 
degree  you  might  to  a  certain  extent,  because  it  requires  your 
knowledge  of  your  own  stock  and  your  knowledge  of  the  needs  of 
your  customer,  and  it  requires  a  man  to  be  in  all  respects  at  all 
times  a  perfect  gentleman.  He  can't  take  a  drink  of  whiskey  to 
fortify  himself  to  go  down  and  meet  that  customer.  That  never 
did  it  in  the  world,  and  it  don't  keep  the  customer  very  long  if 
you  are  leading  him  into  the  saloons  to  treat  him,  if  he  is  one 
of  the  kind  that  drinks,  because  drinking  is  getting  unfashionable, 
and  he  begins  to  think  that  you  are  not  fully  the  gentleman  that 
he  thought  you  were.  He  don't  feel  honored.  He  don't  feel  really 
honored  by  your  company.  I  think  the  best  salesman  is  the  man 
that  his  customer  is  glad  to  see  him  socially.  He  won't  keep  him 
out  in  the  front  office  an  hour  and  a  half  waiting  for  him  to  get 
through  some  unimportant  detail.  He  will  be  glad  to  see  him 
He  wants  you  to  go  out  to  dinner  with  him,  or  invites  you  to  his 
house.  He  wants  to  show  his  appreciation  and  friendship,  and  it 
Meeting  the  is  a  Prettv  £°°d  thing  for  the  salesman  to  be  pretty  well  informed 
Customer  on  the  fads  and  outside  work  and  interests  of  his  customer.  If 
Basis  {  his  customer  is  raising  chickens  he  wants  to  be  "able  to  ask  intelli* 
gent  questions  about  those  chickens.  He  wants  to  say,  "Look  here ! 
You  don't  keep  your  chickens  in  a  steel  or  one  of  those  cement 
chicken  houses,  do  you?  I  never  knew  a  chicken  to  be  kept  in 
one  of  those  houses  without  he  came  down  with  the  pip.  He  gets 
cold.  And  people  are  finding  that  out  now.  Cement  is  the  great- 
est thing  to  produce  disease  in  chickens,  in  cattle  and  in  hogs. 
Now,  a  neighbor  of  mine  the  other  day  lost  a  cow  feeding  ensilage 


SELLINGLUMBER  345 

out  of  a  cement  or  concrete  silo.     The   acid   from  the  ensilage 

formed  a  chemical  combination  with  the  lime  or  material  the  silo 

was  made  of  from  the  product  that  was  put  into  the  silo,  and  he 

lost  the  cow  —  a  very  valuable  cow."     Well  now,  these  things  can 

be  dropped  incidentally  because  they  are  true.     There  is  lots  of 

it  being  done,  just  lots  of  it  that  is  true.     Well,  incidentally  I  will 

say  that  this  part  of  my   subject  was  verified  the  other  day  by 

going  onto  a  farm  eight  miles  from  Denver,  kept  by  the  man  who 

owns  the  Shirley  Hotel,  owned  by  Colonel  Dodge.     I  went  out  to   Teaching  a 

see  Colonel  Dodge,  and  there  was  a  great  big  silo  that  had  fallen   About^los 

down.     He  said,  "I  don't  know  what  is  the  matter  with  that  silo. 

It  has  fallen  down.     And  I  am  furnishing  the  city  with  milk."     I 

said,  "You  ought  not  to  have  had  a  concrete  silo.     You  ought  not 

to  have  had  it  in  the  first  place."    And  he  said,  "I  bought  it  when 

I  bought  the  farm."     I  then  told  him  that  a  concrete  silo  wasn't 

good  for  dairy  cows.     I  asked  him  a  great  many  questions  and 

then  I  told  him,  so  that  he  felt  I  was  getting  a  great  deal  of  in- 

formation from  him,  which  I  was.     I  think  every  salesman  should 

have  enough  knowledge  of  any  subject  connected  with  his  busi- 

ness so  that  he  can  talk  to  his  customer  of  it,  so  that  he  can  ask 

intelligent  questions,  and  if  he  has  that  knowledge  he  can  so  ask 

them  that  he  will  bring  results  largely  his  own  way. 


I  don't  think  that  I  should  say  very  much  more.  I 
want  to  hear  what  is  going  to  be  said  in  the  general  talk  which 
you  are  to  have  here  today  among  yourselves.  I  believe  very 
much  in  good  salesmanship.  I  think  it  takes  the  best  men.  Now, 
some  may  be  good  salesmen,  but  maybe  you  ought  to  be  selling 
millinery  goods.  (Laughter)  There  is  quite  a  difference  be- 
tween  a  salesman  that  sells  millinery  goods  or  boots  and  shoes,  a  Man  to  Sell 
and  one  that  sells  lumber.  It  takes  a  man  to  sell  lumber.  So  Lumber" 
far  as  I  know  you  are  all  men.  (Laughter).  But  I  have  seen 
the  other  kind.  I  think  I  have  been  pretty  successful  in  selecting 
men  who  are  equal  to  the  emergency.  I  have  one  salesman  here  — 
I  won't  call  his  name,  because  it  would  make  him  too  notorious  — 
the  same  as  I  didn't  call  the  name  of  the  other  gentleman  who 
asked  me  the  questions  this  morning  —  but  I  have  one  gentleman 
here  who  prides  himself  being  equal  to  most  any  occasion  and 
adapting  himself  to  the  customer.  His  adaptability  is  such  that 
when  he  first  began  in  my  employ  he  had  been  a  lifelong  Repub- 


346 


SELLING    LUMBER 


(Himself 


A  Leader 

55iSelling 
Short  Lengths 


Wood  Taber 
nacles  Only 

Sunday7 


lican,  but  he  adapted  himself  very  quickly  to  the  Democratic  party, 
took  care  of  a  campaign  for  a  few  months,  and  elected  the  man 
we  wanted  to  Congress.  We  couldn't  elect  a  Republican,  so  we 
elected  a  Democrat.  And  he  ran  that  thing,  and  they  didn't  find 
out  he  was  a  Republican  for  a  year,  when  he  voted  again;  but 
they  didn't  have  any  kick  coming,  because  he  did  them  good 
service.  And  so  he  adapted  himself  very  much  to  the  customer 
in  that  way;  he  sympathizes  with  the  customer.  If  the  customer 
is  a  Democrat,  he  doesn't  have  any  trouble  over  that.  There 
is  a  great  deal  that  might  be  said  that  is  really  good  for  the 
Democrats.  (Laughter  and  applause.) 

Now,  he  will  sell  short  stuff.  He  manages  to  sell  them,  if 
sixteen  foot  flooring  is  wanted,  he  manages  to  sell  a  great  deal 
of  twelve  and  fourteen  and  ten.  He  really  does,  without  any  dis- 
paraging insinuations  against  any  of  the  twenty  other  good  men 
that  I  have  here  today  —  but  he  does  beat  them  all  on  short  lengths. 
I  don't  know  how  he  does  it,  but  he  does  it;  and  sometimes  they 
will  beat  him  in  perhaps  some  other  things.  There  are  no  two  men 
w^°  ^ave  exactty  the  same  qualifications;  and  unless  they  have 

about    all    the    qualifications,    when    a    stranger    comes    into    my 

....  . 

office  and  gives  his  experience   and  all,   and   then   if  he   has    a 

long  nose  and  prominent  chin,  he  will  do,  but  a  short  nose  and 
retreating  chin,  I  assign  him  to  the  millinery  class.  (Laughter.) 
You  have  got  to  have  some  guide  to  go  by.  I  am  so  glad  that 
you  have  those  rules  to  go  by  now;  and  all  I  have  to  do  when 
a  man  applies  to  me  for  a  position  is  to  ask  him  about  seven  of 
the  most  important  of  those  questions. 

Now,  Billy  Sunday  has  been  to  our  place.  He  won't  have 
anything  to  preach  in  excepting  a  wooden  tabernacle.  And  he  is 
going  to  Boston  next,  and  they  were  going  to  do  something  nice 
for  him.  They  were  going  to  put  up  a  great,  big  brick  taber- 
nacle'  and  ^Q  S^  he  couldn't  accept  it  ;  he  couldn't  preach  in  it  ; 
the  acoustic  properties  were  such  that  he  couldn't  speak  in  it  ; 
and  so  the^  are  Putting  up  a  wooden  tabernacle  for  Billy  Sunday 
in  Boston.  There  are  so  many  things  that  wood  will  not  permit 
of  having  a  substitute  for,  and  we  are  learning  them,  and  our 
men  are  going  to  talk  to  customers  on  the  uses  of  wood  on  the 
farm  and  elsewhere.  There  will  not  be  so  much  cement  used  on  the 


SELLINGLUMBER  347 

farm  ten  years  from  now  as  is  being  used  now.  (Applause)  They 
have  advertised  and  they  have  told  the  farmer  in  almanacs  and 
in  newspapers  and  in  every  way  that  they  could  get  that  subject 
before  him,  of  concrete  for  this  and  concrete  for  that,  and  he  is 
using  concrete  for  almost  everything.  I  went  to  a  farm  the  other 
day.  It  looked  to  me  like  there  wasn't  a  bit  of  wood  there.  I 
know  there  will  be,  in  about  ten  years,  because  that  man  has 
built  everything  out  of  concrete.  He  has  got  fence  posts  all  over 
his  farm  of  concrete.  And  some  day  there  is  going  to  be  a  break- 
ing away  from  concrete  on  that  farm,  and  a  little  later  we  are 
going  to  come  into  our  own.  We  are  passing  through  this  stage 
of  evolution,  and  if  we  will  inform  ourselves  thoroughly,  go  to  Cementfwill 
schools  like  this  and  have  training  and  reading  at  home,  and  keep  up  Decline 
this  good  work  and  meet  frequently  with  each  other,  you  salesmen, 
when  you  get  together — are  going  to  have  an  easier  time  because  the 
manufacturer  is  going  to  stand  by  you.  He  is  going  to  find  out  that 
it  is  necessary  for  him  to  be  very  close  to  his  salesmen.  It  is  going 
to  be  necessary  for  the  manufacturer  to  go  around  more  than  he  has 
done,  and  get  close  to  the  customer  that  buys  and  close'to  the 
salesman  that  sells. 

(Prolonged  applause.) 


Public  Sentiment  and  the 
Lumber  Salesman 

By  Gen.  L.  C.  Boyle 

Special  Counsel  for  the  Southern  Pine 

Association 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen : — One  of  two  things  have  been 
made  quite  clear  to  me  today.  I  have  an  old  gardener  down  in 
Kansas  City  who  works  for  me — old  John.  John  has  a  perpetual 
bun  on,  and  I  wondered  how  he  could  stand  it.  I  now  understand 
that  if  you  want  to  preserve  things  you  have  got  to  keep  them 
ing  ground  in  every  state,  gentlemen.  We  can't  handle  the  stuff 
soaked  all  the  time,  or  not  have  them  soaked  at  all.  (Ap- 
plause). That  is  the  reason  prohibition  is  gaining  ground  in 
every  state,  gentlemen.  We  can't  handle  the  stuff  satisfactorily 


348 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Which 
Wood? 


The  All- 
Importance 
of  the 
Salesman 


unless  we  are  at  it  all  the  time — get  properly  pickled,  and  cured  and 
preserved;  and  if  we  nibble  at  it,  why  then  we  decay.  So  you  see, 
we  can't  handle  it  at  all  and  keep  on  our  jobs.  (Applause.) 

Another  matter,  which  deals  with  J;he  ethical  side  of  life, 
has  been  made  also  quite  clear.  I  now  know,  gentlemen,  why 
you,  during  your  visit  here  in  St.  Louis,  when  you  would  pass  a 
street  corner,  and  a  little  gust  of  wind  would  happen  to  come, 
and  a  pretty  girl  was  crossing  the  street,  why  you  would  stop, 
look  and  listen.  I  know  now  why  it  is.  It  wasn't  because  you 
were  anxious  to  find  out  the  contour  of  the  ankle;  not  at  all.  It 
was  because  you  wanted  to  find  out  whether  she  was  patronizing 
yellow  pine,  hemlock,  or  cedar.  (Applause.) 

When  I  met  Mr.  Rhodes  the  other  day  at  Washington,  where 
I  was  up  on  your  business,  in  fact,  because  it  is  but  one  industry, 
no  matter  what  part  in  it  you  perform,  or  function,  it  is  one  great 
industry — I  was  up  there  working  for  and  trying  to  get  some- 
thing for  this  industry,  and  he  asked  me  if  I  could  arrange  my 
time  to,  come  here  and  talk  to  you  men,  and  I  was  glad  of  the 
opportunity,  for,  gentlemen,  after  all  it  matters  not  how  much 
they  may  improve  the  mill;  it  matters  not  how  much  they  may 
develop  and  perfect  the  machinery  for  the  making  of  boards;  it 
matters  not  how  fine  the  trees  have  grown,  or  how  straight  and 
tall  and  splendid  they  are;  all  of  these  is  as  nothing  if  at  your 
end  of  the  line  there  is  not  a  live  wire.  You  have  got  to  have 
salesmen,  gentlemen,  or  the  lumber  business  would  go  off  of  the 
map,  and  you  are  one  of  the  great,  important  functions  in  this 
industry.  Now,  I  am  not  familiar  with  the  technique  of  sales- 
manship. I  am  not  here  to  advise  you  how  to  sell  lumber.  You 
know  more  about  that  in  a  minute  than  I  could  learji  in  a  year. 
That  is  your  business.  But  there  are  some  things  that  I  might 
be  able  to  say  to  you  that  would  interest  you,  because  in  every 
walk  of  life  nowadays  it  seems  we  have  got  to  know  something 
about  everything — round  out  our  minds,  as  it  were — because  the 
world  is  growing  smaller  every  year,  we  are  getting  closer  to- 
gether, and  it  is  essential  that  we  know  more  each  year. 

It  has  been  a  habit  in  this  country  to  condemn  things  because 
they  are  big.  Big  business  has  been  thought  of  as  bad  business. 
The  successful  man  has  been  only  too  frequently  looked  upon  as 
an  evil  doer,  and  not  an  aid  in  the  nation's  building.  Now,  that 
is  due  to  a  wrong  mental  attitude.  It  is  due  to  the  fact  that  in 


SELLING    LUMBER 


349 


times  past  a  few  industries  were  being  exploited,  to  the  dis- 
advantage and  the  hurt  of  the  public,  because  a  few  men  had 
put  their  hands  over  those  industries  and  were  willing  to  take 
selfish  advantage  of  power.  But  because  a  few  men  have  done 
wrong  is  no  reason  why  all  business  men  should  be  tainted  by 
that  statement.  We  have  250,000  business  concerns  in  this  nation ; 
250,000  corporations  and  partnerships  engaged  in  various  lines  of 
business.  That  does  not  include  banks;  it  does  not  include  rail- 
roads, it  does  not  include  public  service  corporations,  but  purely 
business  concerns.  Gentlemen,  do  you  know  that  100,000  of 
those  250,000,  that  their  ledgers  show  during  the  last  year  that 
100,000  of  them  are  in  arrears?  Do  you  know  that  only  60,000 
of  the  250,000  made  over  $5,000  a  piece?  A  few  of  the  60,000 
made  many  millions.  The  part  J.  want  to  get  at,  however,  is 
this :  That  because  a  few  great  corporations  like,  we  will  say, 
for  instance,  and  by  way  of  illustration  only,  the  steel  corporation 
that  controls  40  odd  per  cent  of  all  the  steel  products  of  the 
nation — a  great  institution  which  the  courts  have  said  is  a  legal 
institution — now,  because  some  man  should  feel  that  no  one  great 
concern  should  control  practically  50  per  cent  of  any  one  product 
in  this  nation  is  no  reason  why  all  business  concerns  should  be 
handicapped  and  prejudiced  by  that  kind  of  economic  theory. 

Now,  I  want  to  give  you  a  thought  here  touching  the  pride 
that  you  ought  to  have  in  this  industry.  I  want  to  couple  with 
my  thought  the  work  that  the  Southern  Pine  Association  is  doing 
for  the  benefit  of  the  industry  and  for  the  glory  of  the  nation, 
if  you  please.  Gentlemen,  there  are  something  like  forty  odd 
thousand  sawmills  making  boards  in  this  nation.  The  sway  of 
this  industry  reaches  from  the  lakes  to  the  Gulf,  and  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  In  thirty  odd  states  lumber  is  man- 
ufactured. In  fifteen  states  it  is  a  prime  industry.  In  five  states 
it  is  the  vital  industry.  Now,  mark  you !  Take  yellow  pine, 
hemlock,  and  fir  by  way  of  illustration,  and  they  are  competitive 
woods.  The  yellow  pine  salesman  is  in  competition  with  the 
hemlock  salesman  and  with  the  fir  salesman,  each  of  them  de- 
scribing the  merits  of  their  particular  wood.  Fir  comes  from  the 
far  Pacific,  from  Washington  and  Oregon,  on  a  long  distance 
freight  haul  of  thousands  of  miles.  Fir  competes  in  this  middle 
western  country  of  ours,  where  the  great  markets  exist,  with 
yellow  pine,  which  is  closer  to  them;  with  hemlock,  which  is  still 


A  Wron& 
Attitude 
Toward 
Business 


Why  Lumber 
Men  Should 
Be  Proud 
of  Their 
Business 


350 


SELLING     LUMBER 


-    Entitled 


closer.  Now,  what  I  want  you  to  understand  is  this :  That  this 
great  industry,  comprehending  so  many  units  of  manufacture, 
is  the  prime  industry  in  the  nation.  (Applause.)  It  employs 
over  700,000  laborers.  When  you  go  to  the  country  towns,  my 
friends,  selling  the  retailer,  who  is  depending  upon  the  farmer's 
trade,  I  want  you  to  have  in  mind  the  fact  when  you  are  chatting 
and  exchanging  gossip  with  your  friend  the  rural  retailer — I  want 


to  Farmers'    vou  to  take  occasion  to  impress  him  with  the   fact  that  he  can 


Help 


A  Lumber 

"Trust" 

Impossible 


tell  his  farmer  friends,  that  this  industry  buys  more  farm  produce 
from  the  farmers  of  the  nation  than  any  other  industry  operating 
in  the  nation.  (Applause.)  Let  each  of  you  make  it  plain  to 
the  farmers,  through  the  lumber  retailers  in  the  rural  communi- 
ties, that  this  industry  is  entitled  to  the  moral  and  active  help 
of  the  farmers  of  this  nation.  There  has  been  a  prejudice  abroad 
in  this  nation,  that  lumber  was  in  a  trust.  I  wish  that  question 
could  be  tried  out  before  a  lot  of  salesmen  of  these  manufactur- 
ers. (Laughter  and  applause.)  I  hope,  and  of  course,  I  know 
that  the  good  newspapers  of  this  fine  city  of  St.  Louis,  that  have 
been  giving  you  such  splendid  publicity — I  hope  that  they  will 
challenge  their  people  to  this  thought,  that  there  has  existed  in 
this  country  for  years  an  absurd  fallacy,  to-wit,  that  there  was  a 
great  lumber  monopoly;  that  the  lumber  barons  had  their  hands 
over  the  lumber  manufacturing  situation  of  this  nation,  and  were 
dictating  prices.  I  trust,  gentlemen,  that  some  man  with  imagina- 
tion and  a  vivid  pen  can  portray  the  fact  that  here  you  sit,  five 
hundred  salesmen  representing  competing  manufacturers;  and  the 
thing  you  are  trying  to  learn  is  not  how  to  compete  more,  but 
how  to  compete  less.  (Applause.)  In  the  nature  of  things  there 
could  not  be  a  lumber  trust.  There  are  too  many  mills,  there 
are  too  many  trees,  the  spread  of  the  industry  reaches  over  too 
great  an  area. 

Now,  my  friends.  I  can  only  touch  a  point  here  and  there. 
I  have  no  prepared  paper  for  your  edification.  I  only  wish  I 
had  had  time  to  give  this  matter  thought,  so  that  I  could  have  said 
something  to  try  to  assist  you  as  salesmen.  For  instance,  I  had 
a  little  evidence  of  it  in  my  hotel  here  this  morning.  I  wanted  to 
to  talk  to  my  home  in  Kansas  City.  I  called  up  from  my  room. 
The  young  lady  at  the  phone  said,  "We  do  not  connect  with  the 
Home  phone  system  in  Kansas  City.  This  is  the  Bell  phone." 
"Well,"  I  said,  "I  am  sorry."  "But,"  she  said,  "Mr.  Boyle,  if 


SELLING     LUMBER 


351 


you  will  permit  us,  we  will  be  glad,  if  you  have  a  neighbor 
down  there,  who  lives  next  to  you  in  Kansas  City,  who  has  a 
Bell  phone,  to  call  them  and  ask  them  if  they  will  be  good  enough 
to  ask  Mrs.  Boyle  to  come  to  the  phone."  There  was  salesman- 
ship, my  friends,  in  its  finer  essence.  "Of  course/'  I  said  to 
the  young  lady,  in  my  nicest  voice — I  hadn't  seen  her — (laughter). 
"Why,  of  course,  you  put  in  my  call" ;  but,  gentlemen,  a  college 
of  salesmanship,  all  the  books  in  the  world  couldn't  teach  that 
girl  one  fraction  of  it.  She  had  it  all — courtesy,  politeness,  will- 
ingness to  serve,  earnestness,  helpfulness;  she  had  the  whole 
game  in  her  hand. 

Why,  gentlemen,  do  you  ever  think  about  this — talking 
about  competition  and  salesmanship — some  time  back  my  family 
was  going  to  leave  Kansas  City  on  a  trip — my  wife  and  children. 
In  some  way  this  news  got  abroad,  and  the  railroad  fellows  found 
it  out.  There  are  several  railroads  in  Kansas  'City.  Of  course 
we  say  down  there  that  it  is  the  greatest  railroad  center  in  the 
world.  They  say  the  same  thing  in  St.  Louis,  and  they  have  the 
same  idea  in  Chicago,  but  we  really  have  it.  (Laughter.)  Now, 
what  happened?  To  the  little  point  of  destination  from  Kansas 
City,  it  was  one  price ;  there  was  no  competition  in  price.  It  was 
absolutely  one  price.  The  service  was  practically  the  same,  just 
as  one  yellow  pine  board  is  like  unto  another  in  ordinary  circum- 
stances. The  train  service  had  little  selection.  What  sent  my 
family  over  one  special  route?  Salesmanship.  This  road  called 
me  by  telephone;  that  road  called  me  by  telephone;  the  other 
road  called  me  by  telephone;  but  in  a  moment  up  pops  a  young 
fellow  in  my  office  himself,  and  he  made  me  feel  that  I  would 
be  doing  him  a  personal  service  if  I  would  just  send  my  family 
over  his  road.  Gentlemen,  that  was  salesmanship.  And  so  we 
could  go  on,  item  by  item,  feeling  that  in  this  great  world  of 
ours,  in  these  modern  days,  directness  of  thought,  honesty  of  pur- 
pose, the  purpose  of  serving,  these  are  the  master  factors  in 
salesmanship. 

Now,  I  want  you  men  to  have  a  pride — and  you  have  it ;  the 
fact  that  you  are  here  manifests  it — that  you  have  a  pride  in 
your  business.  The  great  trouble  with  men  in  this  world  is  that 
they  get  into  ruts.  A  fellow  slips  into  a  rut  and  he  just  rolls 


An  Example 
of  Good 
Salesmanship 


Outwitting 
Competition 
in  Railway 
Service 


352 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Something 
for  Salesmen 
to  Remember 


Small  Busi- 
ness and  Big 
Business 


along  forever.  He  sees  James  or  Tom  or  Dick  or  Harry  climb- 
ing up  the  mountain  sides  towards  the  heights  and  he  envies 
him  in  his  heart,  and  he  commences  to  become  a  grouch,  because 
a  man  who  envies  his  neighbor  is  an  unhappy  man  always.  So 
in  salesmanship  as  in  following  law  or  in  a  grocery  store  or  in 
running  a  mill;  a  man  who  gets  in  a  rut  cannot  get  out  of  it, 
cannot  keep  abreast  of  the  times.  And  you  are  not  men  of  that 
type.  You  are  alive,  you  are  awake,  you  are  here  touching 
shoulders  with  each  other,  going  to  school,  in  manifestation  ot 
the  fact  that  you  are  alive.  Now,  I  want  you  to  go  back  to  your 
various  fields  of  labor  with  a  vision,  a  great,  outstanding  vision, 
and  that  vision  is  this :  That  you  represent  the  leading  industry 
in  America  (applause)  ;  that  it  employs  more  men,  save  and  ex- 
cept one  other  industry,  than  any  other  industry;  that  is  ships 
more  freight  and  pays  more  money  to  the  railroads  of  this  coun- 
try than  any  other  industry;  that  it  buys  more  farmers'  produce 
than  any  other  industry;  that  it  deals  in  a  great  initial  resource 
that  is  of  essential  value  to  the  evolution  and  progress  of  human- 
ity ;  that  you  have  an  industry  that  is  the  pioneer  of  civilization, 
because  it  is  only  due  to  the  woodsman  that  civilization  is  here. 
Where  the  woods  once  stood  we  have  now  the  farm.  Those 
woods  were  conquered  and  the  forests  leveled  by  the  pioneers — 
and  there  is  one  of  the  troubles  also  with  that  industry.  I  was 
here  last  night  and  saw  those  wonderful  pictures.  Wasn't  it  a 
wonderful  inspiration,  wasn't  it  a  wonderful  thing  to  see  it — 
the  whole  manufacture  of  boards !  Don't  you  know  that  if  the 
boys  in  the  country  towns,  that  if  the  people  of  this  nation  could 
visualize  what  you  and  I  saw  last  night,  what  a  fine  thing  it 
would  be  for  this  industry?  But  did  you  see  that  little  old  fellow 
without  any  teeth  that  stood  there  near  that  circular  saw,  cutting 
up  three  or  four  logs  a  day?  He  stood  there  chewing  tobacco 
and  spitting  over  the  logs  that  went  through  his  saw  and  cutting 
slowly  and  laboriously  a  log.  Gentlemen,  that  is  small  business. 
And  you  noticed  that  other  great  mill,  or  one  of  them — there 
were  many — where  you  saw  the  gang  saws  cutting  up  in  one 
operation  a  whole  log — a  mammoth,  magnificent  picture — with 
the  delicacy  that  a  watch  is  made.  That  is  big  business.  Which 
of  the  two  businesses,  the  little  business  or  the  big  business,  spells 
progress  and  glory  for  the  nation?  Oh,  gentlemen,  the  politician 
has  got  to  recognize  that  although  the  little  man  has  his  rights 


SELLINGLUMBER  353 

— God  knows  he  has  his  rights  as  well  as  his  difficulties — but 
this  other  man  also  has  his  rights  and  he  performs  a  greater 
service  to  this  nation  than  the  other  one.  (Applause.) 

Now,  you  are  the  men  that  can  mold  public  opinion.  You 
can  do  more  in  the  dispelling  of  false  ideas  touching  the  lumber 
industry  than  any  other  one  influence.  Why,  my  friends,  you 
visit  the  people,  and  that  is  where  public  opinion  resides.  Become  Salesmen 
familiar  with  the  history  of  the  tree,  know  the  spread  of  the  man-  p^iic*^ 
ufacture  thereof,  master  the  details  of  grade  and  density  rules,  Opinion 
make  the  public  understand,  as  you  are  talking  to  it,  the  value  of 
the  industry  to  the  people,  and  that  the  thing  the  industry  needs  is 
less  competition,  and  not  more  competition.  You  can  do  this,  my 
friends,  if  you  will  be  but  equal  to  your  own  abilities.  You 
men,  bright,  keen,  alert,  on  the  firing  line,  have  the  thing  in  your 
own  hands.  You  have  not  always  been  helped  as  you  should  have 
been  helped.  The  manufacturer  out  here  is  to  blame  when  you 
sometimes  are  criticized  because  you  can't  get  the  right  boards 
and  the  manufacturer  has  gummed  the  cards  by  dumping  into 
the  market  an  overburden  of  boards.  (Applause.)  You  can't 
always  get  the  price  unless  this  co-operation  back  in  the  woods 
is  working  with  you ;  and  that  is  where  this  wonderful  associa- 
tion, the  Southern  Pine  Association,  is  doing  a  great  service  to 
the  men  for  whom  you  work  and  with  whom  you  work.  This 
Association  is  bringing  together  these  manufacturers ;  the  men 
that  make  the  boards  that  you  sell.  Now,  we  can't  agree  upon  ^°  Southern 
prices  back  there  at  the  mill;  that  is  against  the  law.  We  can't  PineAsso- 
say,  we  will  depress  the  output  so  as  to  make  a  rise  in  the  p'rice.  Clatlon 
That  is  against  the  law.  But  we  do  know  this,  and  this  Association 
through  the  genius  of  its  secretary  knows  it,  that  if  men  get 
together  and  talk  about  their  business  intelligently,  sympathetically, 
understandingly,  they  will  make  boards  in  harmony  with  market 
needs,  and  this  without  agreement,  because,  knowledge  begets 
common  sense.  (Applause.)  And  there  is  not  a  farmer,  there 
is  not  a  dairy  man,  there  is  no  one  in  this  nation  that  would 
deny  the  lumberman  that  privilege  if  they  but  understood  our 
problems  aright.  Now,  through  the  medium  of  this  Association 
we  are  going  to  work  out  that  problem.  For  the  first  time  in 
the  industry,  it  is  awakening.  Men  are  coming  in  from  the  hills 
where  they  have  been  sitting  in  the  shadow  of  the  somber  forests 
and  are  coming  into  the  light,  and  they  are  Couching  elbows  with 


354 


SELLING     LUMBER 


What  the 
Association 
Is  Trying 
to  Do 


their  competitors.  They  are  all  making  boards  out  of  trees.  They 
want  to  conserve  those  trees.  They  want  to  get  a  fair  profit 
from  their  lumber.  They  can't  do  it  unless  they  touch  shoulders 
with  each  other.  Why?  My  friends",  do  you  know  people  seem 
to  forget.  You  go  down  to  your  home  tonight  on  the  railroad 
train,  to  various  places,  you  take  one  road,  and  you  take  another. 
You  pay  the  same  price,  don't  you?  Exactly.  Any  agreement 
between  the  railroad  companies  on  that  proposition?  No  written 
agreement,  no.  But  the  law  says  that  they  have  a  right  to 
charge  for  service,  and  as  the  service  is  uniform  it  is  no  violation 
of  the  law  if  the  price  is  uniform.  Every  railroad  in  this  country 
is  under  the  shadow  of  the  Sherman  law  and  yet  every  railroad 
in  this  country  charges  alike  for  the  same  service. 

Now,  what  we  are  trying  to  do  is  this :  We  are  taking  a 
tree  growing  out  here  in  the  virgin  forests.  We  want  to  make 
that  tree  adaptable  for  human  needs.  We  want  to  make  it  serve 
the  values  of  life,  serving  children,  serving  men  and  women, 
serving  the  forward  vision  of  a  nation.  We  have  to  cut  it, 
we  have  to  bring  it  into  the  mill,  we  have  to  cut  it  up  into 
various  dimensions ;  we  have  to  put  it  on  a  car ;  we  have  to 
deliver  it  to  a  market;  we  have  to  sell  it  to  a  distributor  in  that 
market,  and  then  we  lose  track  of  it,  because  we  don't  sell  it  to 
the  ultimate  consumer.  We  sell  to  the  man  who  sells  to  the 
ultimate  consumer;  and,  my  friends,  we  are  just  now  realizing 
this,  and  the  law  is  realizing  it,  the  people  are  realizing  it — that 
where  these  manufacturers  are  cutting  each  other's  throats  by 
putting  cars  in  transit — (prolonged  applause) — by  overproducing 
the  market — I  say,  my  friends,  when  these  men  are  doing  this 
they  are  not  getting  cost  for  service ;  they  are  selling  their  labor, 
they  are  selling  these  trees  that  it  took  the  laboring  years  cen- 
turies to  mature,  that  were  given  for  the  need  of  all,  selling  those 
to  the  retail  trade — not  to  your  farmer,  not  to  your  dairyman, 
not  to  your  house  builder — but  to  the  distributor  of  lumber,  at  a 
cut  price.  My  friends,  that  is  going  to  stop,  because  men  do  not 
throw  their  pearls  before  swine.  Men  don't  give  their  title  deeds 
away  for  nothing.  These  men  who  own  trees  through  the  sane 
common  sense  methods  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association  are 
going  to  give  you  men  a  fair  chance  to  make  records,  and  you 
haven't  had  it  before.  (Applause.)  Somebody  has  said  you 
must  not  be  content  with  being  an  order  taker;  you  must  sell  not 


SELLINGLUMBER  355 

at  a  price  purely;  prices  must  not  be  your  god.  You  must  not 
go  out  just  to  get  orders.  You  must  be  real  salesmen.  Fine! 
That  is  what  you  are  going  to  be ;  but  you  can't  be  it  unless  you 
are  helped  at  the  other  end  of  the  line;  and  that  is  where  this 
Southern  Pine  Association  is  co-ordinating  efforts,  my  friends. 
This  is  your  industry.  Take  pride  in  it!  Take  a  joy  in  your 
service !  Why,  my  friends,  this  is  an  epoch-making  time  in  which 
we  live,  and  our  children  and  their  children  will  look  back  upon 
it  as  the  beginning  of  a  great  constructive  era.  You  are  right 
now  in  the  front  trenches  of  this,  the  greatest  movement  in 
American  history.  We  are  now  for  the  first  time  commencing 
to  think  of  economy,  efficiency  and  order  in  our  national  life. 
There  has  been  challenge  to  our  national  conscience,  for  we 
have  been  brought  face  to  face  with  the  fact  that  other  nations  This  an 
living  under  autocratic  forms  of  government  are  more  efficient 
and  have  greater  care  for  God's  gifts  than  we  in  our  great  Time 
democracy.  We  are  going  to  arouse  this  democracy  to  a  right 
understanding  of  our  obligations  to  them;  and  this  country  will 
be,  under  God's  providence,  the  living  light  that  will  lead  the 
world,  for  you  and  I  and  our  brothers  everywhere  will  live  up 
to  our  obligations.  We  can't  do  it  by  simply  making  guns  and 
building  battleships.  We  have  got  to  conserve  and  make  the  best 
use  of  our  forests.  We  have  got  to  conserve  and-make  the  best 
use  of  our  coal  and  our  oil ;  and  those  things  the  good  God  who 
made  them — not  man — He  has  given  them  to  us  for  our  use,  and 
it  is  not  right  for  us  to  waste  them  as  we  have.  But  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  co-ordinate  rightly  in  a  democracy  and  that  is  because  the 
multitude  rules.  You  have  got  to  have  the  highest  degree  of 
intelligence ;  but  men  every  place  are  having  a  better  under- 
standing of  these  things  of  efficiency.  The  German  Empire  would 
have  been  a  thing  of  the  past,  regardless  of  the  size  of  its  army, 
if  it  had  not  treasured  its  trees,,  if  it  had  not  conserved  its  coal, 
if  it  had  been  unable  to  mobolize  its  industrial  units.  My  friends,  A  Higher 
just  think  of  this:  Just  the  other  day,  thirty  miles  from  .Berlin 
they  planted  two  million  little  saplings  in  a  new  forest  that  they 
are  planting,  for  one  hundred  years  from  now,  to  serve  the 
empire.  That  is  the  kind  of  nationalism  we  must  get  if  our 
democracy  is  to  be  the  leader  in  the  world's  great  struggle.  We 
want  to  serve  humanity.  They  over  there  may  want  to  triumph 
for  selfishness.  You  know  and  I  know  that  our  mission  in 


356 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Salesmen  in 
the  Front 


Mexico  is  one  of  service.  Our  mission  to  the  Philippines  was 
one  of  service;  our  mission  to  Cuba  was  one  of  service.  We 
have  the  ideal  of  humanity  well  developed,  but  we  must  learn 
to  put  our  industries  in  a  position  where  they  can  serve  that  great 
ideal. 

My  friends,  you  are  men  who  are  largely  in  the  front  of  this 
great  movement.  When  you  see  things  that  are  not  right  in 
the  industry,  when  you  see  things  that  ought  to  be  corrected,  tell 
not  only  your  house  about  it,  but  see  that  the  Association  knows 
about  it,  because  there  are  high-minded,  clear-visioned,  upstanding 
men  in  this  great  industry.  They  want  to  do  right,  and  they 
want  to  teach  the  whole  industry  to  do  right.  You  are  in  a 
position  to  serve,  and  you  are  not  getting  into  the  rut ;  you  are 
out  of  the  rut;  you  are  on  the  high  plane  of  a  great  future. 
Bring  this  industry  to  the  front  where  it  belongs!  And.  my 
friends,  you  can  do  it !  I  thank  you.  (Loud  and  prolonged  ap- 
plause.) 


Lumber  Salesmanship 

By  Edward  Hines 

Edward  Hines  Lumber  Co. 

Chicago,  111. 

I  rather  hesitate,  in  trying  to  hold  your  attention,  for  I  fear 
the  subject   of  salesmanship  has  been  so   fully  covered,   first   by 
that    marvel    and    living    example    of    scientific    specialization    on 
salesmanship,  Dr.  Krebs,  whose  wonderful  word  picture  so  intelli- 
Congressof    gently>  forcefully  and  eloquently  painted,  must  be  planted  in  your 
"Home  memory,  not  soon  to  be  forgotten,  and   which  contains  so  much 

for  future  thought  and  guidance  for  us  all..  Then  listening  to 
Mr.  Barrett's  able  presentation  of  his  ideas,  it  indeed  takes 
courage  to  attempt  to  follow  two  such  able,  entertaining  profes- 
sional speakers.  I  supposed  this  was  to  be  a  congress  of  home 
talent,  if  indeed  I  am  even  safe  in  using  this  vxord,  so  at  the  start, 
I  ask  your  kind  indulgence. 

In    preparing   my    remarks,    I    had    in    mind    seeing   a    much 
larger  percentage  of  the  manufacturers  and  home  sales  managers 


SELLING     LUMBER 


357 


present,  hence  prepared  my  paper,  having  in  mind  reaching  them, 
as  really  through  them  only,  in  many  ways  can  progress  be  made, 
ably  assisted  by  you  gentlemen.  I  am  very  much  disappointed  at 
not  seeing  more  manufacturers  present,  as  I  feel  that  many  things 
could  be  learned  at  this  meeting,  and  also  by  their  presence, 
encourage  this  movement. 

When  asked  by  Mr.  Rhodes,  secretary  of  your  splendid 
Association,  to  come  here  today  and  address  the  School  of  Sales- 
manship, had  I  considered  my  personal  business  and  the  urgent 
obligations  that  I  had  elsewhere,  as  it  seems  many  have,  I  would 
have  felt  warranted  in  saying  "impossible."  For  the  past  month 
I  have  hardly  been  at  my  office.  Three  weeks  ago  in  Chicago,  the 
entire  week  was  practically  taken  up  with  the  deliberations  of  the 
National  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association,  following  which 
came  a  week  with  the  National  Republican  Convention;  then  fol- 
lowed by  the  meeting  of  the  National  Hardwood  Association  of 
the  United  States.  In  each  one  of  these  I  had  a  strong  personal 
interest  and  felt  obligated  to  devote  much  of  my  time  to  them. 
But  I  am  very  much  interested  in  your  Salesman's  Association, 
and  I  firmly  believe  in  the  ideas  you  are  endeavoring  to  pro- 
mulgate. It  assuredly  is  an  advanced  step  in  scientific  salesman- 
ship, and  if  there  is  one  thing  that  the  Yellow  Pine  Association 
needs  today,  it  is  such  advancement,  and  I  heartily  concur  in  it. 

Moreover,  I  am  here  representing  in  a  measure,  the  National 
Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association,  as  one  of  its  Board  of  Di- 
rectors, to  assist  in  any  and  every  way  possible,  your  organization, 
the  largest  unit  of  the  National  Association.  I  have,  too,  a  selfish 
motive  to  serve  as  the  interests  that  I  represent  are  large  holders 
of  yellow  pine  stumpage  in  Mississippi,  and  I  feel  that  the  move- 
ment that  is  inaugurated  here  today  will  be  a  wonderful  forward 
step  in  bringing  about  enhanced  stumpage  values  if  this  movement 
is  properly  managed.  These  should  have  as  their  foundation, 
first  a  reasonable  value  for  stumpage  which  each  year  added  there- 
to the  cost  of  interest  and  carrying  charges  plus  the  full  operating 
expenses,  with  reasonable  depreciation  per  year  on  all  plant  ac- 
counts, then  12  per  cent  for  profit  based  on  the  selling  values, 
and,  as  the  Government  has  gone  on  record  in  declaring  a  12 
per  cent  computation  over  and  above  these  costs  a  reasonable 
manufacturing  profit. 


Salesmen's 
School  a  Step 
in  Advance 


Expects 
Enhanced 
Stumpage 
Values 


358 


SELLING    LUMBER 


A  Tribute 

to  Mr.  Rhodes 


The  Lumber 
Industry 
Asleep  at  the 
Switch 


Contrasting 
the  Past  With 
the  Future 


Knowing  so  well  the  personnel  of  the  officers  of  your  organi- 
zation, and  having  had  many  years'  experience  with  Mr.  Rhodes, 
your  most  active  and  efficient  secretary,  through  his  and  my  con- 
nection with  the  Northern  Pine  Manufacturers'  Association,  for 
which  he  served  as  secretary  for  many  years,  I  appreciate  that 
the  work  is  in  excellent  hands  and  that  the  yellow  pine  interests 
have  awakened  to  the  necessity  of  doing  something  to  elevate  a 
great  industry  to  a  plane  to  which  it  is  rightfully  entitled. 

The  lumber  industry  as  a  whole  has  been  "asleep  at  the 
switch,"  so  to  speak,  and  in  my  judgment,  they  are  alone  largely 
responsible  for  unfortunate  conditions.  Yellow  pine  has  been 
especially  unfortunate.  I  believe  fully  75  per  cent  of  the  entire 
production  goes  to  a  territory  where  it  has  no  competition  with 
any  other  wood,  but  simply  competes  one  yellow  pine  manufac- 
turer with  another.  Certainly  that  condition  furnishes  much  food 
for  sober  thought  and  consideration.  So  in  that  large  proportion 
of  the  sales  end  of  the  business,  they  have  the  remedy  in  their 
own  hands. 

As  I  stand  here  today  my  mind  goes  back  to  my  first  ex- 
perience in  the  lumber  business  some  forty  years  ago.  When  I 
ponder  a  moment  and  attempt  to  picture,  judging  from  the  past, 
what  changes  will  occur  in  the  next  forty  years,  I  can  but  feel 
that  many  of  us  here  today  will  not  be  present  to  witness  the 
greatly  changed  conditions  that  must  come;  changes  of  a  decided 
character,  advanced,  I  trust,  and  much  improved.  It  is  well  in 
trying  to  judge  the  future  and  to  make  reasonable  provisions  for 
it,  to  take  somewhat  of  an  inventory  of  the  past;  to  go  back  and 
study  conditions,  then  take  up  one  by  one  the  changes  that  the 
industry  has  undergone.  A  diagnosis  of  the  causes  that  have 
changed  the  conditions  in  the  lumber  business  discloses  a  remark- 
able evolution  in  every  department  of  our  great  industry,  and 
especially  so  in  the  sales  department. 

In  the  early  70s  and  '80s,  Northern  pine  was  practically  the 
only  wood  for  building  material  that  could  be  obtained  in  that 
great  consuming  territory  known  as  the  Middle  West,  bounded  on 
the  east  by  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  on  the  north  by  the  Great 
Lakes  and  its  tributaries,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. Nature  had  well  provided  ways  and  means  of  transporting 
the  logs  from  the  tree  to  the  sawmill  at  comparatively  small  costs. 
In  the  states  of  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota  there  were 


SELLINGLUMBER  359 

driveable  streams  carrying  the  logs  for  several  hundred  miles  from 
their  sources,  quickly  to  lake  ports  and  lumber  was  there  man- 
ufactured in  large  quantities  at  the  well  known  lumbering  man- 
ufacturing  ports    of    Saginaw,    Bay    City,    Alpena,    Oscoda,    Che-    Famous  Lum- 
boygan,   Traverse   City,   Ludington   and   Manistee,   Mich.,   and    in    Other  Years 
that  greatest  of  all  lumber  manufacturing  markets  of  the  Great 
Lakes    for   many    years — Muskegon,    Mich. — where    at    one    time 
there  were  forty-seven  sawmills  located,  manufacturing  in  a  single 
year   over   one   billion    feet   of   lumber,   and   practically    all   of    it 
white  pine. 

The  manner  of  marketing  lumber  at  that  time  was  indeed 
very  crude.  The  manufacturer  gave  careful  attention  and  ex- 
pended time  and  money  to  avail  himself  of  the  most  scientific 
methods  of  logging  his  standing  timber  and  making  the  logs  so 
that  the  product  in  lumber  would  be  of  the  best  quality  possible. 
Every  facility;  every  means  of  economic  operation  were » carefully 
supplied  and  adopted.  Provisions  were  made  for  reduced  costs 
of  manufacture,  and  such  men  as  David  Ward,  David  Whitney, 
Hon.  Isaac  Stephenson,  Royal  C.  Remick,  Charles  Hackley,  the 
Sages,  Merrills,  Rusts,  D.  A.  Blodgette  and  numerous  other  oper- 
ators in  Michigan  made  the  early  history  of  logging  manufac- 
turing, epoch-making  and  interesting. 

The   lumber   was   piled   on    docks    available    only    for    water 
transportation;  the  various  grades,  thicknesses,  widths  and  lengths   Lun£eJ«f.~ 
together.     In  one  pile  there  would  be  everything  from   a  4-inch   out  Regard 
10-foot  No.  3  strip  to  a  1st  and  2d  Clear,  varying  in  value  from   to  Sizes 
$10.00  to  $50.00  per  thousand   feet.     That  lumber   in   nearly   all 
instances   would  be  loaded  on   what   was   then  known   as   sailing 
schooners  carrying  from  150,000  to  250,000  feet. 

In  those  days  Chicago  was  the  greatest  lumber  market  in 
the  world,  having  at  one  time  eighty-six  lumber  yards,  almost  every 
one  under  separate  ownership,  hence  a  larger  number  of  these  vessels 
were  consigned  to  what  was  then  known  as  the  Chicago  Lumber 
Market,  and  at  times,  owing  to  unfavorable  winds,  the  boats  be- 
came bunched  and  with  the  first  favorable  wind  would  come  to 
Chicago  in  great  numbers.  I  have  seen  as  many  as  107  boats 
at  one  time  loaded  with  lumber  tied  up  in  the  Chicago  River  from 
the  Randolph  Street  bridge  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  for  sale. 


360  SELLING    LUMBER 

Gentlemen,  consider  what  a  large  quantity  of  lumber  was  con- 
signed by  manufacturers  without  any  knowledge  of  what  they 
would  receive  in  price,  measurement  or  terms,  as  it  was  practic- 
ally auctioned  off  to  the  highest  bidder.  At  that  time  there  existed 
Hit-Or-Miss  and  does  exist  today  in  these  large  cities,  an  association  whose 

Methods  of         interest  was   and   still   is  only   in   their  own   particular   business; 
Marketing 

that  of   buying   and    selling   lumber;   totally   disinterested    in   the 

manufacturer's  problems  or  troubles.  Their  interests  were  con- 
cerned only  m  making  sales  at  prices,  regardless  of  the  weal  or 
woe  of  the  manufacturer. 

My  first  vocation  in  the  lumber  business  in  the  year  1879 
was  as  tally-boy  to  inspectors  on  the  Chicago  River  in  the  old 
lumber  market  at  the  foot  of  Franklin  Street,  where  I  had  the 
personal  experience  of  seeing  lumber  handled  in  the  above  de- 
scribed manner.  Early  in  the  morning  during  the  open  navigation 
the  wholesale  yard  dealers,  or  buyers  as  they  were  classed,  would 
congregate  at  the  lumber  market,  arriving  as  early  as  5  :30  a.  m. 
The  commission  men  would  meet  them,  provided  with  but  meager 
information  of  the  boat  load  of  lumber,  showing  the  name  of  the 
boat,  approximate  quantity  and  about  what  the  cargo  consisted  of. 
The  buyers  would  make  a  sort  of  preliminary  survey  of  the  cargo, 
"dig  up,"  so  to  speak,  four  or  five  layers  of  the  lumber,  turn  it 
over  and  examine  it  as  well  as  they  could  from  the  hatchways, 
E  1  M  "  an<^  ^e  car£°  would  then  be  auctioned  off  by  the  commission 
Sales  at  '  man  to  the  wholesale  and  yard  buyers.  After  agreeing  on  a  price 


Auction  for   what  {-1^  wouid   cjass   as   merchantable   and   better,   a   term 

that  included  everything  4-inch  and  wider,  10  feet  and  longer, 
1-inch  and  thicker,  from  the  grades  of  what  are  now  known  as  a 
portion  of  our  No.  3,  all  our  No.  2,  No.  1  flask  stock,  D,  C,  B 
and  A  Select,  1st  and  2d  Clear,  No.  1,  No.  2  and  No.  3  Shop, 
and  some  others.  They  would  then  agree  upon  a  price  for  the 
so-called  mill  culls  in  the  cargo,  this  term  being  about  as  elastic 
as  the  inspector's  conscience  would  allow.  The  buyer  selected 
from  a  dozen  or  more  inspection  firms  one  to  measure  the  lumber 
under  inspection  rules  adopted  by  the  Chicago  wholesalers,  who 
said  they  were  legal  because  authorized  by  a  charter  from  the 
state,  and  in  the  consideration  and  adoption  of  which  the  manu- 
facturers were  never  consulted.  You  can  appreciate  under  such 
inspection,  practically  influenced  and  controlled  by  the  buyers,  the 


SELLING     LUMBER  361 

treatment  the  manufacturer  received,  and  how  the  inspectors 
naturally  catered  to  the  buyers.  After  the  bargain  was  consum- 
mated several  inspectors  got  aboard  with  one  or  two  tally  boys 
and  the  cargo  towed  to  the  respective  lumber  yard,  there  to  be 
unloaded.  A  gang  of  longshoremen  would  unload  the  cargo,  men 
working  two  in  a  gang,  throwing  lumber  over  in  armfuls  all  the 
way  from  four  to  a  dozen  strips  and  boards  at  one  time.  While 
this  was  going  over  the  boat,  the  inspector,  purely  by  sight,  not 
attempting  to  measure  with  a  board  rule,  would  attempt  to  ascer-  A  Slim  Chance 

tain  how  much  lumber  was  in  each  parcel  or  armful,   and   what   for  the  Manu- 
facturer 
percentage  of  it  he  could  class  as  mill  culls.     Ybu  can  draw  your 

own  conclusions  as  to  the  accuracy  of  either  the  measurement  or 
inspection.  Later,  when  I  was  employed  by  one  of  these  whole- 
salers I  had  the  opportunity  of  viewing  the  other  side  and  know- 
ing the  exact  returns  from  cargoes  unloaded  and  measured  in  the 
manner  described,  and  I  saw  the  large  amount  of  overrun  in  feet, 
not  to  speak  of  the  large  proportion  classed  as  mill  culls  which 
was  of  better  quality  lumber.  When  the  cargo  was  unloaded  a 
recapitulation  of  the  inspection  was  made  out  and  the  yard  man 
would  settle  with  the  commission  man  on  basis  of  the  inspector's 
report.  The  manufacturer  in  every  instance  was  paid  for  his 
lumber  on  a  basis  of  this  measurement  and  inspection.  That, 
gentlemen,  was  the  manner  of  marketing  millions  of  feet  of  lum- 
ber up  to  the  '90s.  Vou  will  appreciate  the  position  of  the  manu- 
facturers who  in  many  instances  had  gone  in  debt  for  twenty  to 
thirty  years'  supply  of  timber,  pioneering  the  forests,  and  enduring 
privation  and  hardship,  with  little  or  no  profit.  Logging  opera- 
tions were  conducted  during  the  winter  months  of  necessity,  owing 
to  the  need  for  snow  and  ice  for  purposes  of  hauling  the  logs  to 
streams  for  transportation  to  mill  points.  The  men  usually  going 
into  the  woods  in  September  or  October  and  rarely  returning  until  Hardships  of 
April,  or  when  the  driving  of  the  logs  commenced,  suffering  all  Early-Day 
manner  of  privations  practically  isolated  during  those  six  months 
from  all  home  comforts,  and,  you  might  say,  far  removed  from 
civilization.  You  can  appreciate  the  hardships  that  the  operators 
had  to  contend  with  as  compared  with  today,  logging  in  most 
cases  now  being  done  one  to  two  days  ahead  of  the  saw  and 
then  entirely  by  rail,  accessible  in  most  cases  in  an  hour  on  a 
comfortable  logging  railroad. 


362 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Mill  Men 

Finally 

Awake 


Boat  Shipping 
to  Wholesalers 
Finally 
Stopped 


Shipping 
Lumber  at 
Fifty  Cents 
a  Thousand 


As  time  went  on  the  mill  men  began  to  realize  how  one- 
sided and  unjust  the  selling  methods  were,  and  naturally  sought 
some  practical  means  of  correcting  the  existing  abuses.  Some 
few  far-sighted  manufacturers  first  conceived  the  idea  of  securing 
ground  adjacent  to  their  sawmills  where  the  lumber  was  assorted 
in  reasonable  separate  widths,  lengths  and  grades;  an  estimate 
was  made  of  about  what  an  average  cargo  of  mill-run  stock 
would  be  worth,  in  order  to  ascertain  and  tell  their  asking  price, 
and  thus  the  first  departure  from  the  older  selling  methods  was 
inaugurated. 

From  that  time  on  there  was  a  gradual  improvement  in 
selling  agencies.  Some  manufacturers  went  further  and  tried 
to  reach  the  yard  trade,  and  the  large  manufacturing  trade  direct, 
and  discontinue  the  shipping  of  their  product  in  this  unselected, 
crude  manner,  to  the  wholesalers,  endeavoring  to  obtain  more 
nearly  the  actual  value  of  their  product  in  the  markets  where  it 
was  ultimately  used.  From  such  methods  developed  the  yarding 
of  the  lumber  at  Saginaw,  Bay  City,  Muskegon,  Menominee, 
Marinette,  etc.,  by  the  well-known  firms  of  Kirby-Carpenter  Com- 
pany, Eddy  Brothers,  Pitts  &  Cranage,  Bliss  &  Van  Auken,  Saw- 
yer-Goodman Company,  Hamilton  Merryman  Company  and  num- 
erous others,  finally  discontinued  entirely  the  shipping  of  their 
stock  by  boat  to  these  wholesale  markets. 

In  the  late  70s  and  early  '80s  Chicago  was  the  largest  lumber 
market  in  the  world.  Conveniently  located  at  the  foot  of  Lake 
Michigan  by  water,  the  cheapest  of  all  transportation  means,  trib- 
utary to  all  the  lumber  manufacturing  points  on  the  Great  Lakes 
and  the  Georgian  Bay  district  of  Canada,  enabling  them  to  trans- 
port rough  lumber,  and  in  many  cases,  green  from  the  saw,  at  a 
nominal  cost.  I  have  seen  lumber  transported  by  boats  many 
times  from  Muskegon  to  Chicago  at  the  rate  of  $1  per  thousand, 
when  the  labor  for  the  loading  and  unloading  would  amount  to 
50  cents,  leaving  the  boat  about  50  cents  for  transportation 
charges.  Compare  today's  freight  charges  on  your  product  by 
rail,  rough  from  mill  points  to  Chicago — 24^  cents  east,  26^ 
cents  west,  about  $10.00  per  thousand — and  you  have  to  load  it — 
a  difference  of  1,000  per  cent  in  transportation  charges. 

Centrally  located,  reaching  by  railroads  the  entire  territory 
from  the  Allegheny  Mountains  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the 
Ohio  River,  favored  by  great  railway  facilities  where  cars  could 


SELLING     LUMBER 


363 


No  Car 


always  be  had,  due  to  the  unusual  incoming  freight  from  the 
South  and  West,  in  those  days  practically  all  grain  and  stock  came 
to  Chicago — cars  were  always  available  for  lumber  shipments  out. 
In  those  days  there  were  upwards  of  sixty  distributing  yards 
located  in  Chicago,  all  doing  a  wholesale  shipping  trade.  I  have 
within  my  experience  seen  lumber  shipped  in  train  loads  from 
Chicago  to  Texas,  right  through  yellow  pine  forests ;  have  seen 
long  joists,  etc.,  kiln-dried  in  Chicago  (and  put  lengthwise  into 
a  kiln  in  order  to  dry  them),  shipped  to  the  Tabor  Opera  House  shortage 
at  Denver,  Colo.,  taking  a  71^4  cent  rate.  Consider  how  vastly  Then 
different  are  present-day  conditions.  Fir  from  the  coast  reaches 
that  market  on  favorable  freight  rates;  yellow  pine  and  white 
pine  from  Idaho;  pine  from  Montana,  and  your  yellow  pine  from 
the  South  are  all  factors.  As  many  of  you  gentlemen  who  have 
had  experience  in  the  early  days  know,  Chicago  was  practically 
the  only  market  that  supplied  for  a  long  time  very  largely  the 
great  prairie  states  of  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Missouri,  Iowa,  Illinois, 
Indiana  and  Ohio.  Compare  the  then  prevailing  conditions  with 
those  of  today.  The  former  great  water  receiving  centers  of 
the  United  States,  like  Buffalo,  Cleveland,  Toledo  and  Chicago 
are  receiving  lumber  daily,  and  in  many  cases  in  train  loads  from 
Texas,  Mississippi,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  Louisiana,  Alabama,  Geor- 
gia and  Florida,  in  fact,  more  yellow  pine  is  coming  into  Chicago 
today  than  any  other  wood.  I  mention  this  to^call  your  direct 
attention  to  them  as  a  foundation  for  my  remarks  and  to  show  Yellow  Pine 
how  evolution  has  wrought  great  changes  in  the  methods,  par- 
ticularly  of  selling  lumber.  This  should  awaken  in  you  a  deeper 
sense  of  your  obligations  and  your  duties,  and  awaken  in  you  a 
new  interest  in  the  problems  you  are  here  to  discuss  and  consider. 
You  are  the  veritable  eyes  of  the  industry,  through  which  the 
manufacturers  must  look  to  see  the  light  of  day  in  solving  these 
troublesome  and  vexatious  problems. 

In  the  early  '90s  the  sawmills  located  along  the  Mississippi 
River  from  St.  Louis  north  to  Minneapolis,  and  those  located 
throughout  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin  were  each  making  separate 
grades,  known  by  the  particular  mills  that  cut  the  lumber.  Each  The  Birth 
manufacturer  was  making  his  own  prices,  based  on  what  he  felt 
his  particular  grades  were  worth.  The  manufacturer  making 
better  grades  than  his  neighbors  would  come  in  competition  in 
the  selling  price  with  the  one  making  the  poorer  grades,  and  better 


364  SELLING    LUMBER 

grades  were  soon  lowered  in  value  to  a  level  of  the  poorer  grades. 
The  manufacturers  realized  that  something  must  be  done  to 
standardize  grades  if  they  were  ever  to  standardize  values  and 
secure  prices  commensurate  with  costs  of  production.  They  were 
able  to  control  their  logging  end;  could  compare  the  cost  of  man- 
ufacture and  correct  any  material  defects  and  differences,  but 
owing  to  the  irregularity  of  the  grades,  their  prices  were  accord- 
ingly irregular  and  too  elastic.  Finally  committees  fom  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association,  and,  what 
was  then  known  as  the  Wisconsin  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Asso- 
ciation, met  in  conference,  and  Mr.  George '  H.  Long,  then  with 
the  Northwest  Lumber  Company,  Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  now  with 
Weyerhauser  Lumber  Company,  Tacoma,  was  made  chairman  of  a 
joint  committee  selected  for  the  purpose  of  standardizing  the  manu- 
facture and  grades.  Too  much  credit  cannot  be  given  Mr.  Long 
for  formulating  what  was  later  adopted  in  joint  session  by  both 
Stability  associations,  uniform  rules  of  manufacture  and  grading,  based  on 

in  Northern    mOst  intelligent  ideas.     Practically  all  the  mills  along  the  Missis- 
Lumber  .... 
Prices             sippi  River  and  in  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota  adopted  these  rules, 

and  but  a  short  time  elapsed  ere  they  secured  uniformity  in  man- 
ufacture and  inspection.  There  followed  gradually  and  naturally 
more  uniformity  of  prices.  I  think  you  will  bear  me  out  in  my 
statement  that  during  the  trying  times  the  yellow  pine  manu- 
facturers have  experienced  in  the  numerous  fluctuations  in  their 
prices,  Northern  pine  values  have  held  uniformly  firm  with  com- 
paratively little  difference  between  the  various  manufacturers' 
prices.  A  net  price-list  means  something;  the  retail  and  consum- 
ing trade  of  the  United  States  have  felt  for  many  years  that  a 
price-list  issued  by  any  of  the  various  manufacturers  composed  of 
the  Northern  Pine  Manufacturers'  Association,  represented  with 
reasonable  accuracy  the  selling  value  of  their  products.  Their 
price-lists  were  not  issued  subject  to  cuts  of  from  $5  to  $15  per 
thousand.  The  trade  has  become  educated  to  know  that  it  meant 
a  price-list  of  real  values,  subject  only  to  slight  fluctuations — never 
to  concessions  of  from  $5  to  $15  per  thousand,  as  is  the  custom 
in  making  yellow  pine  prices.  Traveling  men  in  quoting  dealers 
do  not  use  the  term  "such  and  so  much  off,"  "so  and  so's"  list, 
but  quote  stated  prices  delivered  to  a  given  point,  with  closer  con- 
sideration for  the  actual  value  of  the  stock. 


SELLINGLUMBER  365 

I  feel  that  the  yellow  pine  manufacturers  have  made  a  mis- 
take which  should  be  corrected,  on  the  basis  they  are  quoting 
their  lumber,  and  the  price-list  they  are  placing  in  your  hands  to 
quote  from.  It  is  entirely  wrong.  The  trade  has  no  respect  for 
your  price-list;  you,  yourselves,  have  no  respect  for  it.  It  means 

nothing  to  you.     On  the  contrary,  it  has  no  substantial  foundation   £  Mistake  of 
,  ™  r     ,  J'    .      .  Yellow  Pine 

of  real  values.     The  very  fact  of  having  a  price-current,  that  is   Manufacturers 

most  indefinite,  that  is  cut  by  common  consent  anywhere  from  $5 
to  $15  is  in  itself  an  evidence  of  weakness;  and  depresses  values 
through  all  the  channels  it  reaches;  has  no  stability;  furthermore, 
you  as  salesmen,  do  not  actually  know  the  value  of  the  product 
you  are  selling,  and  have  no  idea  what  your  sales  net  your  em- 
ployer. 

Up  to  the  time  that  the  white  pine  operators  arrived  at  an 
understanding  and  adopted  a  more  uniform  manufacture  and  in- 
spection, pine  stumpage  was  bringing  practically  nothing.     From 
that   time   on,   prices   gradually   became    reasonably   uniform    and 
advanced  until  today  pine  stumpage  is  bringing  a  reasonable  price 
— a   high    price,    in    fact,    compared    with    yellow   pine    stumpage 
values.     Let  us  consider  the  competition  in  selling  white  pine  as  The  Advance 
compared   with   yellow   pine.     In   a   territory   where   80   per   cent  in  White  Pine 
of  your  product  is  sold  you  have  no  competition  with  any  other  ValuX*86 
wood  in  lumber  used  for  like  purposes.     Compare  Northern  pine 
with  such  conditions.     We  have  strong  competition  in  price  with 
every  wood  manufactured  in  the  United  States  in  any  market  in 
which  we  sell  our  product.    This  is  .a  broad  statement,  but  never- 
theless true,  whether  we  go  west,  south  or  east.    Don't  you  think, 
therefore,  that  your  condition  should  be  improved,  wherein  you 
have  no  competition  with  outside  woods  in  80  per  cent  of  your 
territory?    Some  means  should  be  arrived  at  which  would  correct 
this  great  evil.     Such  conditions  are  not  welcomed  by  the  retailer 
or  large  consumers  of  lumber.     Within  the  past  six  weeks  I  have    Handling 
heard  many  statements  in  the  larger  buying  markets  to  the  effect    MadelDiffi- 
that  it  is  most  difficult  to  handle  yellow  pine  owing  to  the  mar-    cu1*  by  Market 
ket  fluctuations.     For  instance,  at  the  present  time  many  dealers 
have  stocked  up  heavily  during  the  winter  months.    They  paid  the 
higher  prices  prevailing  at  the  time  their  purchases   were  made, 
and   are  now  confronted   with  the  perplexing  difficulties   arising 
from  an  all  too  eager  and  over-zealous  effort  to  sell  lumber,  and 
retailers   anticipating  lower  levels  are  selling  for  less  than  they 


366 


SELLING    LUMBER 


Every  Manu- 
facturer of 
Yellow  Pine 
Should  Be  an 
Association 
Man 


The  Greatest 
Good  Through 
Association 
Methods 


When  the  Sup- 
ply Catches 
the  Demand 


bought  your  lumber  for  last  fall  and  winter,  and  with  no  real 
conditions  to  warrant  you  in  lowering  your  prices  a'nd  placing 
them  in  this  unfortunate  position.  Verily,  gentlemen,  your  situa- 
tion needs  a  remedy — a  very  drastic  remedy. 

I  am  one  who  believes  firmly  in  selling  lumber  through  as- 
sociation methods.  Associations  should  be  supported.  Every  man- 
ufacturer of  yellow  pine  should  belong  to  your  Association.  They 
should  not  alone  be  members,  but  they  should  give  the  Association 
their  active,  financial,  moral  and  personal  support.  They  should 
attend  meetings ;  take  part  in  the  discussions ;  assist  in  doing  com- 
mittee work;  encourage  the  chairmen  of  the  various  committees 
by  giving  their  time,  thought  and  energy,  that  the  entire  industry 
be  represented  through  the  Association. 

The  greatest  good  to  the  greatest  number  can  be  accom- 
plished only  through  association  methods.  The  time  has  gone  by 
when  individual  interests  can  accomplish  these  things.  Those  who 
criticize  association  work  and  say  that  it  has  not  accomplished 
"this  or  that  and  the  other  thing,"  are  generally  those  who  fail  to 
give  their  personal  help  to  the  officers  or  the  committees  of  the 
association.  Before  you  can  show  a  decided  improvement  in  your 
prices,  the  members  of  your  Association  must  have  uniformity 
of  manufacture,  grading,  planing-mill  work,  and  establish  the 
knowledge  in  the  trade  that  no  matter  which  mill  the  lumber 
comes  from,  it  will  be  of  the  same  general  character  in  manu- 
facture, planing-mill  work,  and  grade.  Upon  this  foundation,  by 
intelligent,  honest  co-operation  you  can  acquire  stability,  stay  the 
extreme  fluctuations  of  prices  and  can  improve  values,  as  well  as 
attain  more  pleasant  and  cordial  relations  both  between  yourselves 
and  your  customers. 

As  was  said  by  Mr.  Parlin  of  the  Curtis  Publishing  Company, 
in  an  address  before  the  National  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Asso- 
ciation on  June  1st,  in  any  industry  where  the  supply  catches  the 
demand,  radical  changes  take  place  in  merchandising  problems. 
In  some  industries,  and  many  of  them,  and  that  is  particularly 
true  in  ours,  there  has  been  a  period  when  the  demand  was  greater 
than  the  supply.  At  such  times  the  manufacturer  made  and 
shipped  what  he  pleased ;  the  retailer  had  to  sell  what  he  could 
buy,  and  the  customer  necessarily  was  obliged  to  accept  what  he 
could  get  from  the  retailer.  But  it  is  the  history  of  industry,  that 
a  day  comes  when  the  supply  catches  up  with  the  demand.  Tlie 


SELLINGLUMBER  367 

retailer  and  large  user  of  lumber  then  can  select  and  reject;  even 
the  small  consumer  has  something  to  say;  the  manufacturer  can 
no  longer  make  what  he  pleases;  how  he  pleases,  and  give  what 
he  pleases,  but  must  consider  carefully  what  the  consumer  wants; 
he  must  cater  to  public  sentiment,  carefully  watch  the  various  sub- 
stitutes that  have  been  making  inroads  on  his  product,  as  well 
as  what  competitors  in  other  lines  of  lumber  are  doing.  In  this  Dictates 
day  the  retailer  can  no  longer  sell  what  he  sees  fit  to,  but  must 
sell  what  the  consumer  demands.  The  manufacturer  must  care- 
fully consider  the  wants  of  the  ultimate  consumer,  no  matter  how 
small  or  large  user  of  lumber  he  may  be.  In  my  judgment  that 
day  has  arrived  in  the  lumber  industry. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  to  commence  traveling  in  the  early 
'80s,  gradually  covering  the  territory  from  Philadelphia  to  Denver ; 
a  large  territory,  most  diversified;  having  experience  first  in  the 
territory  largely  in  Colorado,  Nebraska,  Kansas,  in  the  days  when 
lumber  was  in  great  demand,  the  country  was  settling  up,  and 
lumber  for  building  purposes  was  naturally  wanted  first.  The 
question  of  a  little  difference  in  thickness,  widths,  mixture  of 
white  and  Norway  pine,  difference  in  grade  or  dryness  was  not  No  Arguments 
considered,  nor  was  the  price  considered,  but  the  question  was —  About  Grades 
how  quick  could  the  lumber  be  furnished.  In  many  cases  lumber 
was  taken  direct  from  the  cars  and  hauled  twenty  to  fifty  miles 
from  the  railroad  to  new  towns  and  communities  that  were  con- 
stantly coming  into  existence.  It  was  largely  used  for  cheap 
class  of  houses  for  temporary  use,  sheds,  barns,  fences,  granaries, 
etc.  Almost  anything  that  looked  like  lumber  answered  the  pur- 
pose. 

It  was  my  pleasure  at  that  time  to  sell  to  Mr.  R.  A.  Long, 
then  in  the  retail  yard  game,  who  started  in  a  very  modest  manner, 
and  it  is  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  and  satisfaction  to  me,  to 
have  seen  him  surmount  the  great  difficulties  he  has,  and  stand   R-  A.  Long 
at  the  top  rank  of  the  yellow  pine  manufacturers  of  your  Associa-    Dealer     Ct& 
tion,  and  today,  as  then,  always  ready  to  devote  his  time,  thought 
and  energy,  as  well  as  his  purse,  for  the  betterment  and  uplift  of 
not  alone  trade,  but  humanity. 

I  also  had  the  experience  of  visiting  a  different  class  of  trade. 
That  of  the  consuming  trade  of  the  Eastern  states,  in  New  York, 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  where  the  requirements  were  more  par- 
ticular, and  users  insisted  upon  obtaining  all  white  pine  when 


368 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Consumers 
More  Particu- 
lar in  the  East 


Yellow  Pine 
Has  No  Com- 
petitor in 
Price,  Except 
Itself 


Wide  Latitude 
in  Extending 
Credit 


buying  white  pine,  where  they  wanted  stock  of  a  certain  uniform 
grade,  where  thickness,  width,  grade  and  dryness  meant  what  was 
asked,  where  lumber  was  largely  used  for  specific  manufacturing 
purposes,  to  fill  certain  prescribed  wants  and  where  the  better 
grades  of  lumber  were  used  for  pattern  work  and  the  better  class 
of  finish.  Today  there  is  not  alone  great  competition  in  selling 
lumber  on  account  of  the  various  substitutes  that  have  for  some 
time  been  making  serious  inroads,  but  of  one  kind  of  lumber 
against  tlie  other,  particularly  in  the  West,  where  you  have  your 
competition  with  fir,  the  white  and  yellow  pine  from  the  inland 
empire.  No  wood  has  really  the  field  alone.  In  all  territories  at 
certain  points,  one  wood  meets  to  some  extent,  competition  with 
the  other,  although  yellow  pine  is  practically  exempt  from  com- 
petition except  with  itself,  in  that  great  territory  embracing  the 
area  from  the  Atlantic  Coast  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  where  it 
meets  practically  nothing  in  competition,  as  far  as  price  is  con- 
cerned, and  in  meeting  Norway  and  white  pine  in  the  North,  you 
have  an  advantage  in  price  of  from  $5  to  $20  per  thousand,  and 
even  in  competition  with  hemlock  you  have  very  little  competition 
in  any  territory,  drawing  a  line  east  and  west  from  Chicago,  and 
you  do  not  meet  fir  competition  until  you  get  pretty  well  West. 

Yet,  in  this  large  territory  yellow  pine  has  no  competitor  in 
price,  but  itself.  It  must,  therefore,  appear  to  you  that  there 
exists  a  great  need  for  advanced,  intelligent,  honest  co-operation 
among  salesmen,  and  that  you  try  to  reach  a  better  and  clearer 
understanding  of  the  duties  that  devolve  upon  you. 

In  the  earlier  days  the  salesman  was  about  the  only  means 
of  establishing  credit  between  the  buyer  and  seller;  the  buyer 
catered  particularly  to  him  in  order  to  have  him  give  as  good  an 
impression  as  possible  to  his  employer  when  he  returned  from 
his  trip.  I,  personally,  had  experience  in  that  direction  because  in 
those  days,  especially  in  the  West,  many  retailers  were  obtaining  a 
much  greater  line  of  credit  in  the  purchase  of  lumber,  than  really, 
technically  speaking,  as  we  view  credits  today,  they  were  entitled 
to.  But  the  salesmen  were  given  a  great  deal  of  latitude  as 
regards  credits;  lumber  sold  quickly;  retailers  were  making  sub- 
stantial profits  and  about  the  only  thing  one  had  to  view  generally 
was  the  moral  risk  and  the  character  and  business  ability  of  the 
man  to  whom  you  were  selling.  At  that  time  there  were  no  such 
things  as  price-lists  or  stock-sheets  issued.  The  millions  of  letters 


SELLING     LUMBER 


369 


that  are  sent  out  today  were  then  unknown  as  messengers;  there 
was  no  such  thing  in  certain  prescribed  territories  as  wholesale 
dealers  or  commission  men,  reaching  the  buyers  at  an  hour's  notice 
by  mail,  automobile  or  telephone.  When  the  salesmen  called 
upon  the  trade,  the  buyer  did  not  know  when  thexnext  salesman 
was  coming;  he  knew  if  he  delayed  placing  an  order  it  might 
seriously  inconvenience  him  in  taking  care  of  his  trade,  so  he 
generally  acted  promptly  when  the  salesman  called.  There  was 
a  sort  of  obligation,  when  the  traveling  man  called,  that  the  re- 
tailer must  make  up  an  order  for  him.  In  reality  a  salesman  in 
those  days  was  merely  an  order-taker.  Compare  that,  gentlemen, 
with  your  experience  today.  I  wish  to  be  very  charitable  in  any 
censure  I  may  place  upon  you,  as  I  have  had  a  wider  experience  in 
selling  lumber,  and  am  therefore  able  to  judge  with  reason  and  in 
a  kindly  way,  the  conditions  now  confronting  you,  and  to  compare 
them  with  those  of  thirty-five  years  ago.  I  have  occupied  for  this 
period  of  time,  a  continuous  selling  job.  While  I  do  not  have 
the  opportunity  of  calling  on  as  many  dealers  -as  formerly,  I 
frequently  call  upon  those  located  in  the  larger  cities,  where 
keener  competition  exists,  and  several  times  a  year  make  a  trip 
fro '11  Chicago  to  New  York  City,  calling  at  the  various  lake  ports. 
While  my  efforts  are  usually  directed  to  selling  lumber  in  larger 
quantities,  I  am  always  glad  to  take  an  order  for  even  a  carload. 

In  many  places  you  are  received  in  an  ante-room,  where  there 
is  usually  a  sign  reading  in  substance,  "Salesmen  received  from 
10  to  12  a.  m."  You  are  obliged  to  send  in  your  card  and  await 
your  opportunity.  One  good  thing  is  that  you  always  have  com- 
pany in  the  ante-room;  some  salesman  will  introduce  himself  to 
you  and  in  turn  introduce  you  to  two  or  three  other  good  fellows 
so  that  you  have  the  enjoyment  and  pleasure  of  good  company 
while  waiting.  It  is  almost  like  waiting  your  turn  in  a  barber 
shop.  When  you  are  ushered  in  to  the  buyer,  he  usually  feels 
he  is  doing  you  a  favor  and  showing  a  courtesy,  to  see  you  at  all, 
and  you  appreciate  that  you  can  take  but  a  very  few  minutes  of 
his  time,  to  obtain  his  attention  and  serious  consideration. 

I  maintain  that  specialization  in  salesmanship  is  indispensable 
today,  not  because  I  am  quixotic  and  enjoy  the  selection  of  an 
arduous  road,  but  for  the  cold  matter-of-fact  reason  that  in 
modern  business  there  is  no  other  road.  The  one  road  to  suc- 
cessful selling  that  does  exist,  difficult  as  it  may  be,  is  continually 


Some  Selling 
Difficulties 
of  Today 


Specialization 
in  Salesman- 
ship Essential 
Now 


370 


SELLING    LUMBER 


Began  in 
a  General 
Store 


Order  Takers 
Who  Called 
Themselves 
Salesmen 


getting  narrower  and  more  hazardous.  The  salesman  who  starts 
a  selling  career  in  any  line  of  business  with  determination  to 
make  a  success  of  his  job  will  find  his  gray  matter  a  much  greater 
f actor  than  his  leg  work.  If  he  is  going  to  exchange  a  standard 
commodity  fork  cash, '  intelligently  and  at  a  living  profit,  he  will 
have  to  think  to  do  it,  and  he  must  THINK  in  capitals,  for  today 
mere  industry  and  perseverence,  admirable  qualifications  as  they 
are,  are  quite  as  likely  to  lead  their  possessor  to  the  poor-house  as 
to  success.  He  must  put  his  thinking  machine  in  high  gear  and 
keep  it  there  all  the  time  to  keep  pace  with  his  competitor.  To 
the  man  who  does  think,  and  is  possessed  of  initiative  to  back  up 
his  mental  activity  by  industry  and  action,  the  business  world 
offers  magnificent  rewards  in  every  way  commensurate  with  the 
effort  to  attain  them,  and  generally  is  soon  recognized  by  his  em- 
ployer. 

In  my  reference  to  former  years  I  have  in  mind  that  period 
when  I  started  out  to  try  and  become  a  salesman,  when  selling 
conditions  were  primitive  as  compared  with  those  of  today,  so 
primitive  indeed  that  mere  perseverance  unaided  by  scientific 
thought,  tumbled  many  men  into  material  success — ofttimes  to 
their  own  bewilderment. 

It  happened  that  my  first  experience  prior  to  entering  the 
lumber  business,  was  in  a  retail  general  store,  where  I  had  to 
deal  with  everything  the  housewife  used,  and  I  really  think  that 
first  experience  was  a  wonderful  foundation,  and  many  little 
ideas  that  were  there  initiated  helped  me  later  to  circumvent  larger 
problems.  It  happened  later  that  my  line  was  lumber,  but  had  it 
been  coal,  sugar,  flour,  or  what  not,  the  application  of  those  first 
principles  would  have  been  the  same. 

In  the  years  of  my  first  selling  experience  we  men  on  the 
road  called  ourselves  salesmen,  but  I  know  now  that  we  were 
mere  order-takers.  We  disposed  of  goods  chiefly  by  seeing  as 
many-  men  as  we  could  crowd  into  a  day's  travel.  We  got  along 
splendidly  by  letting  the  buyer  do  his  own  thinking  while  we 
wrote  down  his  spoken  requirements  in  our  order  books;  lumber 
was  "lumber,"  and  in  reality  it  had  no  competition  with  substitutes 
or  other  respective  kinds  of  lumber  as  you  have  today.  In  the 
great  Middle  West,  pine  was  the  only  thing  called  for;  in  fact, 
it  was  a  common  occurrence  to  board  a  freight  train  going  up 
a  line  of  road,  and  while  the  crew  were  switching,  seize  the  op- 


SELLING     LUMBER  371 

portunity  to  run  over  to  the  lumber  yard  and  book  orders  for 
several  cars.  But  those  days  are  gone,  and  gone  forever.  There 
is  no  more  catching  of  lumber  salesmen  by  the  coat-tails  to  give 
them  orders.  Today  lumber  as  well  as  everything  else  has  to  be 
sold  intelligently.  It  is  a  day  of  standards,  classifications,  grades, 
brands  and  comparative  analytical  tests.  Tomorrow  will  bring 
with  it  still  higher  standards  and  more  exacting  tests — things  that 
are  synonyms  for  tremendous  accelerated  competition.  Today  the 
successful  salesman  to  overcome  these  problems  should  have  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  product  he  is  attempting  to  sell,  not  The  Demands 

alone  the   finished  product,   and  by   this   I   mean   that  he   should   ofModf.rn 

Competition 
have  a  general  idea  of  the  wood,  the  peculiar  character  of  it,  its 

particular  good  qualities,  defects  allowed  if  any,  what  it  is 
especially  adapted  for,  wherein  it  differs  with  other  woods  he  may 
come  in  competition  with.  He  should  have  knowledge  of  the 
timber  in  the  forests ;  the  general  length  of  the  trees ;  average 
sizes ;  extreme  sizes ;  percentage  of  large  and  small  timber ;  a 
general  idea  of  the  logging  problems  with  reference  to  what  is 
practical,  etc.  Should  have  a  good  idea  of  the  manufacturing 
end  of  the  business ;  how  the  logs  are  cut  up,  not  as  regards 
ordinary  country  trade  entirely,  but  with  reference  to  what  special 
stock  can  be  gotten  out  of  certain  kinds  of  logs,  also  what  waste 
there  would  be  in  order  to  know  relatively  what  price  special 
stock  should  bring  over  ordinary  yard  stock  of  about  same  dimen- 
sion. He  should  possess  a  sound  knowledge  of  what  it  costs  to 
do  all  kinds  of  planing-mill  work,  so  that  when  called  upon  to 
figure  on  any  special  working  he  will  know  whether  it  is  prac- 
tical or  not;  just  what  is  involved  in  the  uses  of  machinery  an^1 
the  rough  lumber  to  make  the  finished  product  satisfactorily  and 
with  profit.  In  order  to  give  a  buyer  a  finished  product  that  The  Technical 
would  be  satisfactory  for  a  certain  purpose,  he  should  know  how  Knowledge 
much  extra  to  ask  over  and  above  the  price  for  that  same  size  Re<luired 
worked  for  ordinary  yard  trade.  He  should  be  able  to  approach 
the  buyer  of  an  ordinary  retail  yard  calling  for  ordinary  sizes,  a's 
well  as  the  buyers  of  the  larger  manufacturing  concerns.  He  must 
be  able  to  approach  the  buyers  of  these  larger  concerns  to  a  large 
extent  as  an  efficiency  man,  to  show  not  only  the  buyers  of  lumber 
but  the  mechanical  man  of  these  larger  industries  how  to  cut  up 
and  utilize  the  lumber  with  economy.  He  should  be  able  to  sit 
down  with  such  a  man  and  show  him  along  practical  and  intelli- 


372 


SELLING     LUMBER 


High  Prices 
For  Short 
Lengths 


Greater 
Profits  and 
a  Pleased 
Customer 


Gained  $30  a 
Thousand  on  a 
Special  Order 


gent  lines,  how  he  can  furnish,  for  instance,  yellow  pine  of  a 
certain  special  size  or  quality,  equally  or  more  suitable  than  other 
kinds  of  lumber  he  is  using  for  some  particular  purpose.  He 
should  endeavor  to  first  find  out  what  he  is  paying  for  the  par- 
ticular kind  of  lumber  he  has  been  using,  how  utilized,  and  then 
demonstrate  the  greater  utility  of  his  own  product,  and  figure 
out  the  saving  to  the  manufacturer  by  making  the  change.  Very 
often  you  are  asked  to  quote  a  price  to  manufacturing  concerns, 
large  corporations  or  even  to  the  retail  trade  for  certain  purposes. 
For  example,  a  particular  length  is  called  for,  probably  all  16 
feet  and  12  inches  in  width,  when  possibly  4  feet  long  by  4  or  6 
inches  is  the  finished  size  really  wanted.  It  should  be  your  duty 
to  quietly  and  diplomatically  ascertain  for  what  special  purpose 
the  lumber  is  to  be  used;  try  to  see  the  finished  product,  and  just 
what  they  use  it  for,  and  many  times  you  can  secure  an  order 
for  the  finished  sizes  at  the  longer  length  and  wide  width  price 
called  for  and  make  several  dollars  per  thousand  extra,  thus  im- 
proving selling  and  really  raise  the  asking  price  for  special  sizes. 
It  has  been  my  experience  many  times  to  make  as  much  as 
$10  per  thousand  on  special  items,  and  at  the. same  time  give 
the  buyer  full  satisfaction.  I  recall  an  instance  where  a  large 
manufacturing  concern  using  several  hundred  thousand  feet  of 
Ix6-inch  12-ft.  Clear  and  Select  strips,  and  where  I  made  it  my 
duty  to  ascertain  the  particular  purpose  for  which  this  lumber 
was  used,  and  when  we  did,  we  found  it  was  cut  to  3- ft.  lengths. 
The  Clear  and  Select  strips  were  worth  about  $50  per  thousand 
feet,  in  the  full  length.  We  were  able  to  furnish  the  3-ft.  out  of 
our  short  cuttings,  mill-culls,  a  much  inferior  quality  of  lumber, 
but  by  cutting  out  the  defects  and  allowing  for  the  waste  it  made 
the  lumber  worth  about  $25.  We  succeeded  in  getting  the  order 
changed  to  multiples  of  12  feet  and  by  giving  practically  all  the 
short  stock,  we  satisfied  the  customer  by  supplying  exactly  what 
they  wanted;  lumber  of  equal  or  better  quality;  with  no  waste, 
and  made  about  $25  per  thousand,  saving  them  the  cost  of  re- 
handling  and  manufacturing  and  getting  rid  of  a  lot  of  undesirable 
or  slow  selling  stock. 

Another  case  I  distinctly  remember.  A  customer  wanted 
a  quantity  of  2^-inch  uppers,  insisting  that  it  being  a  peculiar 
inquiry,  he  must  have  just  what  he  asked  for.  We  learned  by 
careful  investigation  that  he  wanted  the  lumber  to  cut  to  x2- 


SELLINGLUMBER  373 

inch  slats  to  be  used  in  refrigerator  cars  for  shipment  of  fruit 
from  California.  The  market  price  at  that  time  on  2^2-inch 
uppers  was  $55  per  thousand.  In  a  very  satisfactory  manner  we 
arranged  to  furnish  the  lumber  worked  to  the  required  pattern 
from  Ix6-inch  8-foot  strips  dressed  four  sides,  resawing  and  rip- 
ping to  ^x2^2-inch,  at  about  $25  per  thousand,  while  the  2^2-inch 
uppers  in  the  rough,  without  being  worked  were  worth  over  $55, 
making  a  profit  of  $30  per  thousand.  I  could  recite  numerous 
similar  instances  that  have  occurred  during  my  past  experience, 
but  the  above  are  sufficient  to  illustrate  the  point  I  am  trying  to 
make. 

The  salesman  must  not  alone  make  a  careful  study  of  the 
retailers'  wants,  but  the  various  manufacturing  concerns  he  has 
the  opportunity  of  coming  in  contact  with;  and  nowadays  there 
are  about  as  many  manufacturing  plants  in  the  great  Middle  West 
as  there  were  formerly  in  the  territory  east  of  the  Allegheny 
Mountains.  In  this  way  he  will  find  himself  able  many  times  to 
evolve  means  by  which  he  can  reduce  the  cost  for  his  customers, 
where  absolutely  necessary  for  proper  reasons,  particularly  in 
the  retail  trade,  and  at  the  same  time  help  himself  by  working  off 
odd  stock  or  surplus  items,  or  narrow,  or  short  items,  without 
prejudice  to  the  quality  or  adaptability  of  the  stock,  by  learning 
the  exact  dimensions  and  quality  needed  for  the  finished  product. 
For  instance,  in  the  retail  trade,  he  should  make  it  his  business 
to  intelligently  present  to  the  retailer  facts  and  experiences  of  Studying  the 
others  for  example  in  the  case  of  flooring,  siding,  ceiling  and  User's  Needs 
other  items,  even  dimension,  that  a  certain  proportion  of  lengths  ' 
shorter  than  10  feet  are  equally  as  practicable  as  the  longer 
lengths.  The  quality  of  the  shorter  lengths  in  the  same  grade,  as 
a  rule,  is  better  than  the  long,  and  generally  the  price  is  several 
dollars  per  thousand  less.  By  educating  the  retailer  to  keep  in 
stock  a  certain  proportion  of  short  lengths,  and  by  showing  him 
that  in  selling  the  stock  to  the  consumer  he  can  secure  the  same 
price  as  for  the  long,  and  being  able  to  buy  for  less,  his  average 
profit  is  thus  made  proportionately  greater,  and  induce  him  to 
keep  a  reasonable  stock  of  shorts.  In  this  way  he  creates  an 
avenue  for  the  consumption  of  what  might  be  classed  as  odd,  or 
slow  moving  stock,  and  which  unless  special  attention  be  directed 
to  it,  is  not  called,  for. 


374 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Working  Off 
Odd  Items  and 
"Irregular" 
Stock 


Then  particularly  on  corporation  trade  requirements,  by  being 
on  the  ground  you  can  tactfully  ascertain  just  what  they  want 
the  stock  for;  try  and  see  it  in  its  finished  state,  and  get  the 
dimensions,  thickness,  width  and  length.  After  you  have  this 
knowledge  you  should  quickly  be  able  to  size  up  the  situation,  and 
your  sales  acumen  and  initiative  should  then  come  into  play,  by 
endeavoring  to  obtain  a  proper  price  along  the  lines  of  their  orig- 
inal inquiry,  but  with  the  understanding  that  you  are  privileged  to 
furnish  them  stock  cut  to  the  finished  length,  and  width,  and 
thus  enabling  you  to  again  work  off  odd  items  or  "irregular" 
stock,  which  in  its  rough  state  might  be  of  less  value,  but  serves 
your  customer's  requirements  equally  as  well,  and  thus  make  the 
additional  profit  per  thousand  for  the  house,  and  save  extra  work 
and  handling  to  the  customer. 

You  should  also  realize  that  salesmen  are  paid  not  alone  on 
the  basis  of  the  quantity  of  lumber  sold,  but  that  the  house  con- 
siders carefully  the  character  of  the  stock,  the  amount  of  unde- 
sirable lumber  and  surplus  items  worked  off,  and  the  profit  per 
thousand  on  each  sale.  And  this  is  particularly  true  in  viewing 
substitutes  of  other  woods  that  you  come  in  competition  with. 
By  seeing  the  finished  product  and  ascertaining  just  what  it  is 
used  for,  you  can  more  intelligently  present,  and  offer  for  the 
buyers'  consideration,  something  that  you  have,  and  which  is 
equal  in  every  respect  to  the  article  they  have  been  buying  for 
that  purpose,  and  possibly  better,  bringing  out  the  good  points  of 
what  you  offer,  and  at  the  same  time,  when  conditions  justify,  sell 
it  for  even  a  little  less  than  the  buyer  has  been  paying  for  other 
.  stock  to  make  the  finished  article,  and  still  obtain  the  asking  price 
for  the  stock. 

It  is  also  important  that  information  obtained  daily  covering 
stock  used  for  certain  new  purposes,  be  daily  forwarded  to  the 
home  office,  with  all  particulars.  The  sales  manager,  naturally 
having  this  information,  will  then  transmit  it  to  the  other  sales- 
Information  men  *n  the^r  respective  territory,  and  they  in  return  then  should 
take  advantage  of  such  knowledge,  and  offer  the  same  class  of 
stock  to  their  trade  for  that  purpose,  and  they  can  do  so  very 
intelligently  and  definitely  when  they  have  the  facts.  In  this 
way  the  aggregate  experience,  properly  disseminated,  becomes  a 
valuable  asset,  and  each  salesman  thus  gains  manifold  returns 
from  the  information  dispensed. 


Good  Sales- 
manship Not 
All  in  Dispos- 
ing of  Quan- 
tity 


SELLING     LUMBER  375 

As  before  stated,  salesmen  should  be  possessed  of  reasonably 
practical  knowledge  of  the  logging,  manufacturing,  planing-mill 
work,  as  well  as  a  good  idea  of  costs.  Equipped  with  this  knowl- 
edge, and  having  up-to-date  stock  sheets,  and  intelligent  advice 
from  the  house,  he  should  have  his  information  as  regards  stock 
on  hand,  prices,  etc.,  so  condensed,  and  at  his  fingers'  ends,  so  Be  Ready 

to  speak,  that  he  can  answer  all  questions  readily  and  with  calm   to  Answer 
f     i-i         TM  1  11  j-      •   L  e  Questions 

finality.     The  salesman  who  has  to  dig  into   a  mass  of  papers, 

notes,  or  a  whole  pouch  of  papers  to  find  out  whether  he  can 
furnish  this  or  that,  or  to  obtain  information  or  figure  out  a 
price  before  quoting,  creates  an  unfavorable  impression  on  the 
buyer  and  also  takes  up  unnecessarily  a  lot  of  the  buyer's  time. 

Today  this  vast  body  of  intelligent  salesmen  is  the  best 
means  of  disseminating  truthful  information  about  the  lumber 
industry,  and  particularly  the  yellow  pine  industry,  not  alone  to 
the  great  army  of  retailers  who  use  lumber  throughout  the  United 
States,  but  to  the  ultimate  consumer.  The  traveling  salesman 
should  not  alone  feel  that  he  is  paid  for  the  quantity  and  qual- 
ity of  lumber  he  sells,  but  equally  important  to  the  house  he  repre- 
sents, and  the  great  lumber  industry  in  general,  is  the  character 
of  information  he  disseminates,  and  which  he  can  do  without 
extra  cost  to  his  employer. 

One  important  feature  to  consider,  and  which  the  lumber  in- 
dustry has  been  suffering  from  for  some  time,  is  the  fact  that 
some  lumber  is  being  used  for  certain  purposes  of  an  unsuitable 
character  for  that  purpose.  The  user  of  the  lumber  must  be 
educated,  and  the  traveling  salesman  is  the  best  means  to  do  so, 
and  to  show  the  dealer  that  he  is  not  in  business  merely  for  the 
present,  but  for  years  to  come,  and  that  any  consumers,  builders 

and  architects  calling  for  certain  kinds  of  lumber  for  a  special  _ 

t  - ..  .  Unsuitable 

purpose,  he  should  so  understand  his  business,  as  to  seek  in  every  Uses  of 

manner  possible,  ways  of  overcoming  the  prevailing  feeling  of  Lumber 
the  average  dealer  that  the  only  consideration  of  interest  to  him  is 
the  matter  of  immediate  profit.  He  should  be  able  to  thoroughly 
explain  to  his  customers,  the  architects,  builders  and  consumers 
the  importance  of  carefully  considering  using  that  particular  kind 
of  lumber  which  is  best  suited  for  any  specified  purpose.  He 
should  give  intelligent,  practical  and  honest  advice  to  the  retailer 
and  encourage  him  to  impart  the  same  information  to  his  cus- 
tomers. 


376 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Encourage 
the  Use  of 
Better  Grades 


Work  for  the 

National 

Association 


Salesmanship 
Becoming 
An  Art 


Such  a  course  is  bound  to  inspire  confidence  between  the 
retailer,  the  salesman  and  the  house  he  represents,  which  is  in 
itself  an  asset,  but  it  is  of  particular  value  and  benefit  to  the 
general  industry.  Salesmen  thoroughly  equipped  with  experience, 
ready  information,  and  capable  of  intelligently  presenting  valuable 
advice  to  the  retailer  must  necessarily  be  favorably  looked  for- 
ward to,  and  such  advice  passed  along  to  the  consumer,  and  be 
of  material  help  to  all  concerned.  You  should  seek  to  encourage 
all  possible  the  using  of  better  grades  than  lower  grades,  for  the 
satisfaction  he  gives  his  customer  by  his  having  him  buy  something 
fully  as  good  as  wanted  rather  than  something  poorer.  The  little 
difference  in  price  is  small  compared  to  the  appearance,  quality, 
etc.  A  better  quality  makes  a  lasting  customer — unsatisfied  cus- 
tomer forgets  the  price  but  remembers  the  poor  quality. 

I  feel  that  the  National  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association 
should  from  time  to  time  have  information  correcting  various  mis- 
understandings of  the  facts  with  reference  to  the  lumber  industry, 
and  various  information  of  vital  importance  to  the  general  public 
with  reference  to  this  great  industry.  They  should  have  this  in- 
formation very  definitely  and  intelligently  arranged  and  trans- 
mitted to  the  members  of  the  different  associations  with  request 
that  each  manufacturer  write  their  salesmen,  calling  their  atten- 
tion very  fully  to  the  circular,  and  asking  them  particularly  to 
explain  these  things  in  their  daily  visits  with  the  retailers.  Also 
wherever  they  have  the  opportunity  (and  they  have  many  of 
them)  explain  to  the  hotel  man,  railroad  agents  and  the  various 
people  they  meet  in  their  travels. 

Such  a  course  handled  from  mouth  to  mouth,  would  very 
quickly  disseminate  a  lot  of  truthful  information  about  the  lumber 
business  and  correct  a  great  many  errors  and  misrepresentations 
that  constantly  appear  in  print  about  it  and  thus  educate  the 
public  to  view  the  industry  along  more  favorable  and  fair  lines 
than  has  been  the  case  in  the  past,  and  creating  public  sentiment 
in  the  right  direction. 

Salesmanship  is  fast  becoming  an  art.  It  occupies  a  rela- 
tively conspicuous  place  in  the  domain  of  commercial  enterprise, 
and  promises  soon  to  outrank  and  outshine  all  other  branches  of 
our  great  industrial  development.  Dressed  in  the  garb  of  scien- 
tific intensity  it  is  rapidly  becoming  a  man's  game — a  big  man's 
game— where  there  is  ample  play  for  the  keenest  intellects.  The 
traditional  inaccuracies  of  "good-fellowship"  in  the  sporting  ac- 


SELLINGLUMBER  377 

ceptance  of  the  term — moist  evenings  and  "sea-going"  cabs — are 
no  longer  deemed  to  be  potential  factors  for  success  in  the  selling 
game  and  play  no  stellar  part  in  the  closing  of  large  contracts. 
Old-fashioned  methods  of  selling  merchandise,  have  succumbed 
to  the  invasion  of  Twentieth  Century  forces,  generating  maximum 
velocity  with  modern  high-power  methods.  Inspirational  sales- 
manship rests  largely  upon  knowledge  buttressed  and  reinforced 
by  the  spirit  of  DOING  things.  All  obstacles  are  surmounted; 
every  resistance  vanishes,  before  the  intelligent  constructive  analy- 
sis of  present-day  selling  ideas.  A  closer  and  more  intimate 
acquaintance  with  the  subject;  the  keen  spirit  of  competition  and' 
the  determination  to  beat  the  other  fellow  to  the  "punch,"  kindle 
the  fires  of  ambition  and  supply  the  fuel  for  the  high-speed  motors 
of  human  endeavor. 

Of  the  many  recognized   essentials    for   successful   salesman- 
ship today,  none  stand  out  so  clearly  as  intelligence,  perseverance, 
initiative   and   courtesy.     And   the  greatest   of   these   is   courtesy. 
If  in  every  business  institution,  as  much  real  appreciation,  as  full   Courtesy 
credit   and  consideration   were   given   the   employee   who   radiates   Selling^6' 
sunshine  and   good   cheer   with  unfailing  patience   and   intelligent   Essential 
sympathy,  as  to  the  one  who  masters  severe  technical  difficulties, 
the  business  would  be  decidedly  better,  the  spirit  of  loyalty  firmly 
implanted  in  the  heart  and  soul  of  every  employee  and  the  esprit 
de  corps  infinitely  benefited. 

You  can't  achieve  what  you  don't  believe.  If  you  don't  be- 
lieve in  your  goods,  it  is  hard  to  sell  them  to  another.  Conviction 
convinces — earnestness  compels  confidence.  Training  alone  may 
produce  efficient  soldiers,  but  not  effective  armies — hired  warriors 
never  yet  won  a  kingdom.  Besides  weapons,  every  fighter  must 
carry  his  soul  into  action.  Sincerity,  an  abiding  faith  in  your  own 
self,  honesty  and  industry,  all  combine  in  a  rare  degree  to  render  Earnestness 

you   an   effective,   compelling   unit   in   the   organization   to   which    £orilPfls 

T-»  r  •  •  «  Commence 

you  belong.  Power  of  expression  and  the  right  choice  and  selec- 
tion of  words  in  your  conversation  are  complements  of  no  mean 
importance.  The  euphony  of  language  coupled  with  a  finer 
mental  poise  are  elements  you  must  cultivate  with  care  and  pre- 
cision. Put  smiles  in  your  conversation;  avoid  giving  impressions 
that  impart  a  chill  to  your  listener,  and  keep  always  before  you 
the  need  for  a  closer  observation  of  the  finer  sensibilities  of  those 
with  whom  you  come  in  contact. 


378 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Wooden 
Houses 
Good  for  a 
Century 


Well-Seasoned 
Wood  Takes 
Paint  Best 


Painting  and  Finishing 
Southern  Yellow  Pine 

(Exterior  and  Interior) 

By  Henry  A.  Gardner 

Associate  Director,  The  Institute  of  Industrial 

Research 
Washington,  D.  C. 

General  considerations :  The  structural  materials  expert  will 
admit  that  nearly  all  kinds  of  building  materials  (cement,  iron,  and 
wood)  require  that  decoration  or  protection  which  is  obtainable  only 
through  the  use  of  paint.  This  is  especially  true  of  lumber,  the 
painting  of  which  is  to  be  discussed  herein.  The  advocates  of  this 
material  advance  as  one  of  their  arguments  for  its  continued  use 
the  fact  that  frame  dwellings  are  generally  lower  in  cost  than  those 
made  of  other  materials,  and  are  therefore  within  the  reach  of  the 
average  person.  They  also  refer  to  the  highly  decorative  appear- 
ance of  painted  wooden  houses,  which  will  generally  last  for  a  hun- 
dred years  or  longer,  provided  a  coat  of  paint  is  applied  every  five 
or  six  years.  Such  statements  as  to  the  durability  of  painted  wood 
are  founded  upon  fact,  for  tests  have  shown  that  moisture  and 
fungi,  the  two  most  active  agents  of  wood  decay,  are  kept  from 
wood  by  the  sealing  action  of  paint. 

Lumber  that  has  been  well  seasoned  is,  of  course,  in  the  most 
receptive  condition  for  paint,  as  it  allows  deep  penetration  of  the 
priming  liquids  which  form  the  bonding  coat.  Moreover,  on  ac- 
count of  the  volume  changes  which  take  place  in  every  known  spe- 
cies of  structural  wood,  the  application  of  paint  before  seasoning 
is  apt  to  result  in  a  form  of  surface-cracking  that  is  objectionable. 
It  is,  however,  bad  practice  to  allow  completed  frame  structures  a 
very  long  period  of  seasoning  before  painting.  The  very  purpose 
of  applying  paint  to  timber  is  to  prevent  the  accumulation  of  dirt 
and  to  protect  the  wood  from  the  destroying  fungi  that  assert  their 
presence  in  the  form  of  deep-seated  stains.  It  is  advisable,  there- 
fore, to  apply  a  thin  priming  coat  and  a  medium  body  coat  of  paint 
to  all  wooden  structures  soon  after  erection.  If  these  coats  arc 
thin,  well  brushed  out,  and  allowed  sufficient  time  to  dry,  the  wood 
will  be  coated  with  a  film  possessing  what  might  be  referred  to  as 


SELLINGLUMBER  379 

valve  action.  Moisture  from  the  outside  will  be  denied  ready 
entrance,  but  moisture  in  the  wood  will  be  allowed  to  escape  freely 
during  dry  weather.  The  action  of  the  sun  will,  moreover,  bring 
to  the  surface,  without  causing  bad  effects,  any  resin  or  sap  which 
might  be  present  in  the  surface  of  the  wood.  Exposure  over  the 
summer  months  will  generally  be  found  sufficient  to  weather  out  all 
of  the  objectionable  contents  df  the  lumber.  It  should  then  receive 
preferably  two  more  coats  of  paint. 

General  Directions. — The  paints,  varnishes  and  finishing  ma- 
terials referred  to  herein  generally  contain  upon  the  labels  full 
printed  instructions  for  their  application.  The  procedure  outlined 
herein  for  the  painting  and  finishing  of  Yellow  Pine  may,  however, 
be  followed  with  assurance  of  most  excellent  results. 

EXTERIOR  PAINTING. 
Yellow  Pine. 

No  paint  or  other  finishing  material  should  be  applied  in  damp 
weather.  The  interior  plaster  work  of  a  new  structure  should  be 
allowed  to  dry  thoroughly  before  applying  paint  to  the  exterior  of 
a  building,  as  the  water  drawn  out  through  the  wood  might  cause 
blistering.  The  surface  of  the  wood  must  be  free  from  moisture. 
Weathering  of  the  wood  previous  to  the  application  of  paint  is  gen-  i^Vine 
erally  advisable  in  order  to  allow  thorough  seasoning  and  drying  Exteriors 
out.  If  the  wood  has  been  previously  painted,  all  old,  loose  paint 
should  be  removed  with  a  wire  brush.  If  the  wood  has  not  been 
previously  painted,  all  knots  and  sap  streaks  should  be  brush-coated 
with  turpentine  not  more  than  one  hour  previous  to  the  application 
of  the  first  coat  of  paint.  (Never  use  shellac  for  coating  knots.) 

Priming  Coat. — Never  use  ochre  as  a  priming  coat.  Serious 
results  are  bound  to  follow.  A  high-grade  prepared  paint*  made 

*U.  S.  Army  Paints   (White). 

The  majority  of  the  high-grade  paints  to  be  purchased  from  reliable 
dealers  will  closely  approximate  the  prepared  paint  called  for  by  the 
specifications  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  which  are  as  follows: 

"The  paint  must  be  furnished  in  prepared  form,  ready  for  applica- 
tion. White  paint  must  contain  not  less  than  66  per  cent  nor  more 
than  70  per  cent  of  pigments,  the  balance  to  be  liquids.  The  liquids 
shall  consist  of  pure  raw  linseed  oil,  containing  a  total  of  not  over  10 
per  cent  of  turpentine  and  turpentine  drier.  The  pigment  portion  of  the 
paint  shall  consist  of  white  lead  (basic  carbonate  or  basic  sulphate)  and 
zinc  oxide.  There  shall  not  be  less  than  25  per  cent  nor  more  than  SO 
per  cent  by  weight  of  zinc  oxide.  Paints  of  this  composition  containing, 
in  addition,  not  over  15  per  cent  by  weight  of  such  white  pigments  as 
barytes,  china  clay,  whiting,  asbestine,  and  silica  will  be  accepted  under 
these  specifications." 


380 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Use  of 
Turpentine 
and  Benzol 


Tinted  Paints 
Last  Longest 


Painting  Yel- 
low Pine 
Interiors 


by  a  reputable  manufacturer  should  be  selected.  Such  paints  should 
be  prepared  upon  a  lead  and  zinc  base.  To  one  gallon  of  paint 
there  should  be  added  three  pints  of  turpentine  or  benzol.J  The 
thoroughly  stirred  mixture  should  then  be  applied,  brushing  it  out 
into  a  thin  coat.  This  will  rapidly  dry  to  a  hard  undercoating 
which  is  the  secret  of  painting  success.  The  paint  will  penetrate 
deeply  into  the  wood  and.  provide  a  substantial  and  permanent  foun-  j 
dation  for  the  subsequent  coats. 

Second  and  Third  Coats. — When  the  priming  coat  is  thoroughly 
dry,  close  all  nail  holes  and  other  imperfections  in  the  wood  with 
a  good  grade  of  putty.  This  should  be  followed  by  the  applica- 
tion of  the  second  coat  of  paint,  which  may  be  used;  as  it  comes 
from  the  can  in  prepared  form.  If  the  paint  is  thought  to  be  too 
heavy,  a  pint  of  turpentine  to  the  gallon  of  paint  may  be  used  for 
thinning.  After  a  suitable  drying  period,  the  third  coat  may  be 
applied,  as  it  comes  from  the  can,  without  reduction.  Better  re- 
sults will  be  obtained,  however,  if  the  two-coated  job  is  allowed  to 
weather  over  the  summer  months.  The  finishing  coats  may  then 
be  applied  to  the  well-seasoned  structure. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  the  most  durable  results  are 
obtained  from  tinted  paints.  Permanent  colors  which  have  been 
ground  by  machine  into  the  lead  and  zinc  paints  have  the  effect 
of  preventing  painting  defects  and  increasing  the  durability  of  the 
paint  by  30  per  cent. 

If  the  property  owner  should  desire  to  mix  his  paint  by  hand, 
which  is  not  an  economical  procedure,  he  may  obtain  packages  of 
white  lead  ground  in  oil  and  pure  zinc  oxide  ground  in  oil.  Mix- 
tures of  lead  containing  from  25  to  50  per  cent  of  zinc  are  gen- 
erally used. 

INTERIOR  PAINTING. 
Yellow  Pine. 

Clean  and  sand-paper.  Brush-coat  knots  and  sappy  spots  with 
turpentine  not  more  than'  one  hour  previous  to  the  application  of 
the  first  coat  of  paint.  Select  a  high-grade  prepared  paint  made  by 
a  reputable  manufacturer  upon  a  lead  and  zinc  base.  To  one  gallon 
of  paint  there  should  be  added  three  pints  of  turpentine.  The 

$  Benzol  90  degrees  or  Benzol  160  degrees  (Solvent  Naphtha)  may 
be  used  with  even  better  results  than  turpentine  for  thinning  the  priming 
coat  of  paint.  Benzol  is  the  water-white  distillate  from  coal  tar.  It 
must  not  be  confounded  with  benzine.  When  benzol  is  not  obtainable 
use  turpentine. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


381 


thoroughly  stirred  mixture  should  then  be  applied,  brushing  it  out 
into  a  thin  coat.  This  will  rapidly  dry  to  a  hard  undercoating  that 
has  penetrated  deeply  into  the  wood.  If  the  finishing  color  is  to 
be  white  or  light  tinted,  there  should  be  applied  over  the  priming 
coat  of  paint  a  thin  coat  of  white  shellac.  This  will  prevent  dis- 
coloration of  the  surface  by  resin  in  the  wood.  After  drying,  the 
imperfections  may  be  puttied  up.  There  should  then  be  applied 
three  coats  of  paint  of  the  desired  color.  If  a  varnish  coat  is  applied 
over  the  paint,  it  should  be  a  light-colored,  good-wearing'  varnish, 
evenly  applied,  and  it  should  be  colored  with  the  finishing  tint. 

ENAMELING. 

Yellow  Pine. 

For  enameling,  the  same  treatment  of  knots,  priming  with 
paint,  coating  with  shellac,  and  puttying  should  be  adopted.  Apply 
three  coats  of  white  prepared  paint  or  flat  finish.  .Then  apply  one 
coat  of  half  paint  and  half  enamel.  Finish  with  one  full-flowing 
coat  of  best  enamel.  Each  coat  must  be  thoroughly  dry,  and  should 
be  lightly  sand-papered  before  the  application  of  another.  All  coats 
should  be  tinted  as  desired.  The  enamel  coats  may  be  rubbed 
with  water  and  powdered  pumice  stone  if  a  satin  finish  is  desired. 

STAINING  AND  VARNISHING. 
Yellow  Pine. 

Natural  Finish. — The  woodwork  should  be  thoroughly  cleaned 
and  sand-papered  where  necessary.  Apply  one  coat  of  white 
shellac. 

Cover  all  nail  holes  and  other  imperfections  with  putty  col- 
ored to  match  the  wood,  taking  care  to  remove  surplus  putty. 

Give  two  coats  of  good-wearing  body  varnish,  the  last  coat  to 
be  evenly  flowed  on.  Sand-paper  thoroughly  between  coats.  If 
a  flat  finish  is  desired,  the  varnish  coats  may  be  rubbed — not  too 
closely — to  a  dull,  even  finish,  or  a  dull-finish  varnish  may  be 
used.  If  the  natural  color  of  the  wood  is  a  trifle  too  bright  for 
the  effect  desired,  a  very  little  burnt  sienna  added  to  the  first  coat 
of  varnish  will  produce  a  more  suitable  finish. 

Stained  Work. — All  woodwork  should  be  thoroughly  cleaned 
and  free  from  imperfections.  Apply  one  coat  of  linseed  oil  prepared 
stain  containing  benzol.  Sand-paper  lightly.  Close  nail  holes  with 
putty  to  match  stain,  removing  all  excess  putty.  Apply  two  good 
coats  of  strong-wearing  body  varnish,  evenly  flowed  on,  and  sand- 


Enamel  for 
Yellow  Pine 


Staining  and 
Varnishing 
Yellow  Pine 


382  SELLING     LUMBER 

paper  lightly  between  coats,  taking  care  that  each  coat  is  thoroughly 
dry  before  another  is  applied.  For  a  flat  surface  rub  lightly  with 
oil  and  pumice  stone  or  apply  one  coat  of  flat  varnish. 

FINISHING  FLOORS. 

Yellow  Pine. 

Natural   Color  Finish. — Never   lay   a   Southern   Yellow   Pine 
floor  until  the  plastering  of  the'  building  is  on  and  thoroughly  dry. 
Finishing  Floors    should    be    cleaned,    smoothed,    hand-scraped,    and    sand- 

Yellow  Pine  papered  with  the  grain  of  the  wood,  and  left  in  perfect  condition 
to  receive  the  work  of  the  painter,  the  same  as  any  other  high-class 
hardwood  floor. 

Apply  a  very  thin  first  coat  of  white  shellac.  Sand  lightly 
with  fine  sand-paper,  and  apply  two  coats  of  best  elastic  floor  var- 
nish. If  a  dull  finish  is  desired,  rub  lightly  with  oil  and  pumice 
stone.  Wax  varnished  surface  if  desired. 

Stained  Floors. — If  the  floor  is  to  be  stained,  omit  the  shellac 
and  apply  one  coat  of  linseed  oil  prepared  stain  containing  benzol. 
When  dry,  apply  two  coats  of  best  elastic  floor  varnish.  Wax  if 
desired. 

Do  not  attempt  to  finish  a  Southern  Yellow  Pine  floor  by 
the  use  of  wax  or  oil  alone.  A  polished  surface  will  result,  but 
it  will  not  be  hard,  and  will  soon  discolor  with  dust  and  dirt. 

PAINTING  SHINGLE  ROOFS. 

Yellow  Pine. 

New  shingles,  if  well  seasoned,  may  be  dipped  in  a  prepared 
mineral  paint  that  has  been  suitably  thinned  with  turpentine  or  min- 
eral spirits  so  that  the  excess  paint  will  readily  run  off,  leaving  an 
even  film.  It  is  customary,  however,  to  paint  shingles  on  the  roof. 
This  is  usually  done  after  the  shingles  have  weathered  for  a  short 
period  of  time,  but  previous  to  the  formation  of  corner  pockets  or 
Painting  other  defects  due  to  the  action  of  the  weather.  The  paint  should  be 

Shingle  Roofs  wen  brushed  in.  One  coat  is  sufficient,  but  two  coats  will  give  a 
more  durable  job.  Shingles  4  inches  in  width  are  usually  laid  to 
show  not  over  4^  inches  of  their  length  of  16  inches,  thus  forming 
a  quadruple  roof  of  approximately  100  square  feet  .to  a  thousand 
shingles.  One  gallon  of  prepared  shingle  paint  will  cover  400  square 
feet,  one  coat,  if  well  brushed  .out.  . 

Shingle  Paints  and  Fire  Resistants. — From  time  to  time  one 
sees  in  lumber  journals  or  other  papers  the  account  of  a  test  of 


SELLING     LUMBER 


383 


some  so-called  fireproof  paint.  There  is  usually  shown  a  photo- 
graph of  two  or  three  small  shacks  from  which  flames  and  dense 
clouds  of  smoke  are  issuing.  One  shack  is  usually  so  constructed 
or  treated  that  it  is  apparently  unaffected  by  the  fire,  presumably 
on  account  of  the  remarkable  paint  in  question.  Whenever  such 
advertising  matter  is  accompanied  by  the  statement  that  the  paint 
which  gave  the  good  results  is  "fireproof,"  the  reader  should  be 
careful  about  accepting  such  claims,  for,  in  the  writer's  opinion, 
there  is  no  durable  exterior  fireproof  paint  in  existence. 

The  use  of  a  good  grade  of  linseed  oil-mineral  pigment  paint 
will  make  lumber  resistant  to  flame  and  the  action  of  hot  cinders. 
Such  paints,  however,  are  not  fireproof,  but  simply  "fire-retardant" 
or  "fire-resisting."  For  exterior  use  upon  dwellings,  they  consti- 
tute the  only  type  that  it  is  possible  to  use  with  economical  results. 
The  incorporation  of  small  percentages  of  certain  salts  and  metallic 
compounds  (borates,  etc.)  into  such  paints  may  slightly  increase 
their  value  as  fire-retardants,  but  will  never  make  them  fireproofers 
of  wood.  It  is  true,  nevertheless,  that  many  fires  have  been  pre- 
vented through  their  use,  especially  roof  fires.  It  is,  therefore,  a 
growing  custom  for  the  property  owner  to  paint  the  roof  as  well  as 
the  siding  of  his  home.  Shingle  roofs, 'properly  painted  with  a 
good  mineral  paint,  have  the  following  advantages:  Light  weight, 
low  cost,  long  life,  moisture-proof,  fire-resistant,  durable,  orna- 
mental. 


Fire-Resistant 
Shingle  Paints 


Advantages 
of  Painted 
Shingle  Roofs 


Creosoted  Wood  Blocks  for 
Interior  Service 

By  A.  H.  Noyes 

Assistant  Treasurer,  Ayer  &  Lord  Tie  Co. 

Chicago,  111. 

The  apathy  with  which  lumbermen  collectively  have  viewed 
the  field  for  creosoted  wood  block  interior  installations  has  been 
a  point  of  vital  interest  to  us,  as  manufacturers  of  blocks  for  this    Big  Possibil- 
service  and  instances,  almost  without  number,  have  been  brought    ities  in 
to  our  attention  where  direct  opposition  by  retailers  and  jobbers    interiors °°k 
has  done  much  to  kill  our  chance  for  promotion  or  sale,  on  account 


384 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Little  Co- 
Operation 
from 
Lumbermen 


Good  Stock  in 
Wood  Blocks 


Following 
Through 
an  Order  for 
Wood  Blocks 


of  their  inability  to  divorce  themselves  from  personal  interest,  in 
favor  of  the  general  good  of  the  lumber  trade.  I  will  grant  to  a 
large  extent,  this  has  been  brought  about  by  a  lack  of  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  utility  of  creosoted  wood  blocks  for  floor  pur- 
poses, and  mainly  the  object  of  this  paper  is  to  bring  home  to  you 
gentlemen  the  possibilities  that  this  field  offers  you,  as  an  outlet 
for  millions  of  feet  of  block  stock,  that  today  is  being  lost,  &nd 
concrete,  mastic  or  other  mineral  compounds  substituted. 

You  are  all  aroused  over  the  gains  made  by  the  cement  manu- 
facturers and  freely  admit  that  they  are  alive  to  their  opportuni- 
ties to  promote  the  use  of  concrete,  for  any  purpose  that  offers  an 
outlet  for  their  product.  On  the  other  hand,  you  gentlemen  of  the 
lumber  trade  cover  the  field  thoroughly,  follow  the  trade  reports 
of  new  buildings,  looking  to  an  increase  in  your  sales,  but  with 
very  few  exceptions  do  we  ever  find  instances  of  live  co-operation 
by  the  lumber  trade  in  the  promotion  of  creosoted  wood  blocks 
for  interior  service. 

A  short  story  of  the  manufacture,  promotion  and  sale  of  creo- 
soted wood  blocks  may  be  of  timely  interest.  Contrary  to  a  gen- 
erally accepted  opinion  among  the  laymen,  the  stock  used  in  wood 
block  manufacture  is  of  excellent  quality.  To  begin  with,  we  buy 
3x8  and  4x8,  10  to  20  feet,  square  edge  and  sound,  long  leaf  yellow 
pine,  free  from  bark,  loose  or  rotten  knots  or  any  other  defects 
detrimental  to  its  strength  or  durability.  The  annual  rings  in  three 
(3)  inches  measured  radially  from  the  center  of  the  heart  shall 
average  not  less  than  eight  to  an  inch;  orders  for  this  material 
being  placed  with  mills,  on  such  lines  of  road  that  allow  for  deliv- 
ery to  our  plants  and  give  us  the  benefit  of  a  manufacturing  and 
treating  in  transit  arrangement.  The  method  of  handling  the  ma- 
terial from  the  tree  to  the  car  through  your  mills  is  too  well  known 
to  warrant  discussion.  On  receipt  of  the  material  at  the  treating 
plant,  it  is  removed  from  cars  and  stacked  in  open  piles  for  rapid 
seasoning,  which  period  varies,  according  to  the  weather  condition 
and  the  degree  of  seasoning  each  specific  order  may  make  neces- 
sary 

As  an  example,  let  us  follow  through  an  order  for,  say  1,000 
square  yards  of  3-inch  interior  blocks  for  machine  shop  floor.  The 
order,  when  made  out,  will  advise  the  plant  to  cut  3-inch  blocks 
from  4x8  dry  stock  and  to  treat  by  the  Rueping  process,  using 
English  oil.  Floor  condition  dry.  With  this  information,  our  su- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


385 


perintendent  turns  to  his  records  and  finds  that  certain  cars  of 
stock  from  certain  mills  were  received  and  stacked  for  seasoning 
on  a  certain  date;  he  gives  a  copy  of  the  original  order  to  our 
block  mill  foreman,  with  instructions  to  cut  28,000  feet  B.  M.  of 
dry  stock  and  giving  car  reference,  which  in  each  instance  is 
marked  on  the  pile.  It  is  the  block  mill  foreman's  place  to  satisfy 
himself  that  the  material  designated  is  in  proper  condition  to  re- 
ceive treatment.  The  planks  are  then  handled  by  locomotive  crane, 
onto  a  conveyor,  and  moved  up  to  the  block  mill,  where  the  first 
step  is  to  surface  2S1E  and  from  there  to  the  cut-off  table,  where 
the  plank  is  cut  to  block  machine  length.  In  cutting  3-inch  blocks 
we  use  nineteen  14-gauge  saws,  cutting  twenty-one  blocks  each 
time  a  piece  passes  through.  Directly  behind  the  saws  stands  an 
inspector,  ready  to  take  frequent  cuts  for  gauging  in  order  to  de- 
tect any  variation  in  -the  depth  of  the  blocks,  and  his  instructions 
are  to  stop  the  mill  when  the  cuts  vary  more  than  one-sixteenth  of 
an  inch  and  to  locate  which  saw  is  making  the  trouble.  This  may 
seem  like  very  close  cutting,  and  it  is,  but  one  saw  on  an  arbor, 
making  uneven  blocks,  would  cause  considerable  trouble  and  after- 
wards an  uneven  floor.  From  the  machine,  the  blocks  fall  onto  a 
table,  where  a  second  inspector  stands  ready  to  cull  out  any  blocks 
showing  bad  checks,  wane,  shake,  knots  or  other  defects,  and  from 
there  onto  a  conveyor,  which  carries  the  blocks  to  the  loading  bins, 
and  from  which  they  are  dumped  into  waiting  cages  on  trams  and 
run  into  the  treating  cylinders  for  treatment. 

The  treatment  consists  of  an  initial  air  pressure  of  approxi- 
mately 75  pounds  per  square  inch,  followed  by  an  oil  pressure  of  from 
175  to  200  pounds,  and  a  final  vacuum,  which,  with  the  aid  of  the 
compressed  air  in  the  wood  cells,  forces  out  all  surplus  oil,  leaving 
the  fibres  coated  with  oil  and  the  timber  thereby  preserved.  From 
this  point  on,  the  handling  is  of  slight  interest,  until  the  blocks  are 
laid,  so  we  can  leave  the  block  at  this  point  and  turn  to  the  methods 
to  be  followed  in  the  promotion  and  sale  of  our  product. 

The  whole  fabric  of  our  sales  promotion  is  built  on  an  adver- 
tising campaign  that  brings  many  inquiries  from  interested  readers. 
It  is  our  practice  to  send  literature  and  a  personally  written  letter 
in  answer  to  all  inquiries.  We  do  not  use  form  letters  or  printed 
circulars,  as  experience  has  shown  us  that  these  means  bring  but 
meager  returns,  while  on  the  other  hand,  personally  written  letters 
(and  where  possible  addressed  to  some  official)  return  us  a  very 


Care  in 
Cutting  Blocks 


The  Treat- 
ment Given 
Wood  Blocks 


Sales 

>    o  motion 
Built  on 
Advertising 


386  SELLINGLUMBER 

large  percentage  of  replies,  possibly  as  high  as  75  per  cent.  These 
inquiries  are  referred  to  the  local  office  covering  the  territory  and 
a  salesman  makes  a  call  at  an  early  date.  On  reaching  the  town, 
our  salesman  first  covers  those  plants  where  interest  has  been  shown, 
or  from  whom  we  have  received  inquiry.  After  these  calls,  he 
makes  a  call  on  every  manufacturing  plant  in  the  town,  regardless 
of  size  or  apparent  prosperity.  You  never  can  tell  where  lightning 
will  strike,  and  the  superintendent  of  a  small  plant  today  may  be 
the  superintendent  of  a  large  one  tomorrow,  and  your  promotion 
talk  will  not  be  lost.  New  plants  offer  attractive  prospects  and 
our  work  on  these  must  be  early,  generally  with  the  president,  vice- 
president,  general  manager,  superintendent,  engineer  or  architect. 
We  prefer  to  work  through  the  high  operating  official  rather  than 
the  engineer  or  architect,  as  the  latter  two  are  governed  by  the  de- 
sire of  their  principal.  The  results  we  obtain  in  this  way  are  sur- 
prising and  men  of  large  affairs  and  the  heads  of  successful  plants 
lend  a  willing  ear  to  our  arguments. 

You  will  see,  however,  that  we  do  not  wait  until  \ve  hear  of 
a  new  plant  to  be  built,  but  we  find  a  far  larger  field  in  old  plants, 

Getting  a       where  floor  areas  subject  to  replacement  are  of  greater  importance. 

"Prospects"  ^e  watch  the  trade  and  building  news  items  closely  for  mention 
of  new  plants  to  be  erected,  but  we  give  equal  attention  to  the  old 
building. 

Generally,  our  salesmen  go1  directly  to  the  superintendent  or 
some  other  high  operating  official  and  interest  him  in  our  product. 
Pictures  of  installation  play  an  important  part  and  it  is  seldom  hard 
to  arrange  to  go  into  the  plant  with  the  superintendent.  In  the 
majority  of  cases,  once  on  the  ground,  we  have  little  trouble  in 
showing  where  a  creosoted  block  floor  will  be  an  asset  in  securing 
efficiency.  We  do  not  try  to  do  more  than  this  on  our  first  call 
and  seldom  do  we  leave  literature  on  the  subject  unless  requested. 
Foundation  However,  our  salesman  reports  each  day  on  the  calls  he  has  made, 
for  an  Order  and  the  district  office  writes  confirming  the  conversation  and  send- 
ing literature.  Our  idea  being  that  when  accompanied  by  a  letter, 
a  booklet  will  be  filed  for  future  reference  and  possibly  studied, 
whereas,  a  large  percentage  of  the  booklets  left  during  the  first  call 
find  their  way  into  the  waste  basket.  Another  means  of  securing 
results  is  to  make  direct  reference,  stating  names  of  officials  oper- 
ating other  plants,  in  kindred  lines,  and  request  that  the  superin- 
tendent com  '  unicate  with  these  parties  and  secure  first-hand  in- 


SELLING     LUMBER 


387 


formation  on  the  subject.  Once  we  have  an  interested  prospect, 
we  do  not  let  him  rest.  We  have  a  follow-up  system  that  regularly 
keeps  in  touch  with  the  prospect  and  we  attempt  to  arrive  at  a  point 
where  he  can  see  nothing  else  but  a  wood  block  floor.  We  have 
instances  on  file  of  a  four-year  campaign  before  we  finally  closed 
the  business.  But  we  got  it. 

There  was  a  time,  when  we  first  started  on  our  floor  business, 
that  we  had  to  go  at  a  man  with  certain  set  arguments  and  secure 
his  attention  through  sheer  force  of  salesmanship,  but  I  am  happy 
to  say  that  today  we  do  not  find  one  in  fifty  who  is  not  familiar 
with  a  wood  block  floor  and  generally  readily  admits  its  perfection. 
Price  is  the  largest  stumbling  block  and  one  that  is  not  easily  sur- 
mounted, and  we  must  demonstrate  to  our  prospect  where  the  ulti- 
mate economy  warrants  the  additional  first  cost.  Then,  too,  we 
freouently  find  some  men  who  are  confirmed  concrete  advocates. 
In  that  event,  a  walk  through  their  plant  with  them  gives  us  oppor- 
tunity to  point  out  his  cracked  and  patched  floor  surface,  which 
invariably  is  to  be  found  where  heavy  material  is  handled  by  hand 
or  on  trucks.  Should  his  plant  have  large,,  expensive  machinery, 
we  call  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  dusting  of  a  cement  floor 
is  a  poor  lubricant  and  rays  of  sunshine  give  graphic  visual  proofs 
of  the  dusting  of  his  floor.  This,  however,  has  to  be  handled  diplo- 
matically, or  in  place  of  gaining  a  convert,  you  will  make  an  enemy. 
Every  crow  thinks  its  chick  the  blackest,  and  plant  superintendents 
do  not  vary  the  rule. 

Cold  wearing  surfaces  are  hard  on  labor,  and  in  the  winter  you 
will  find  machinists  with  lengths  of  board,  a  piece  of  carpet,  or  a 
burlap  sack  under  their  feet,  and  in  one  case  a  plant  went  so  far  as 
to  provide  cocoa  mats  for  their  men  to  stand  on.  All  this  litters  a 
floor,  furnishes  a  means  that  frequently  causes  serious  accidents, 
due  to  men  tripping  and  falling  into  moving  machine  parts.  A 
\concrete  floored  plant  requires  a  larger  consumption  of  coal  to 
neat  than  does  one  with  a  creosoted  wood  block  floor.  Wood  is 
a  ^non-conductor.  Oil  will  not  damage  a  creosoted  wood  block 
floor.  Neither  does  it  show  stain  from  oil  drippings  and  is  im- 
pervious to  water  or  acids  when  properly  laid.  Being  black,  a  creo- 
soted wood  block  floor  does  not  reflect  light  nor  does  it  radiate 
heat.  We  have  installed  a  creosote  wood  block  floor  in  a  plant 
where  the  temperature  of  the  concrete  floor  slab  is  145  degrees, 
an  impossible  condition  for  a  man  to  work  on,  except  for  the  insula- 


Price  the 
Only  Obstacle 
to  Wood 
Hock  Sales 


Points  of 
Superiority 
of  Wood 
Block  Floors 


388 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Wood  Block 
Floors  Save 
i;  reakage 


The  Man  with 
the  Big  Say 


Every  Lumber 
Yard  Should 
Carry  Blocks 
in  Stock 


tion  afforded  by  the  block.  Fatigue,  due  to  cement,  brick  or  other 
hard  surfaces,  is  a  matter  which  reduces  the  general  efficiency  of 
every  man,  called  to  work  for  eight  hours,  standing  at  a  machine. 
You  will  never  find  the  plant  office  cement  floored  that  you  don't 
find  it  carpeted,  and  yet  plant  owners  will  ask  their  labor  to  pass 
eight  hours  of  each  day  on  cement  and  expect  high  efficiency. 
The  plant  management  recognizes  these  facts  and  are  not  slow  to 
admit  their  truth,  and  each  day  sees  new  wood  block  advocates. 

Breakage  of  castings  and  parts,  and  the  saving  in  dulled  tools 
are  points  of  serious  interest.  Ask  a  plant  superintendent  to  show 
you  his  scrap  pile  and  you  will  find  food  for  argument  that, he  can- 
not refute,  and  best  of  all,  he  knows  .it. 

You  may  ask  why  I  continually  refer  to  the  superintendent. 
He  is  the  man  nearest  to  the  actual  shop  operation  and  is  the  man 
with  the  big  say.  Get  him  interested  and  you  have  half  the  battle 
won.  He  will  listen  to  your  arguments  on  service  and  is  generally 
a  firm  believer  in  quality.  Once  you  have  him  won  over,  it  is  a 
matter  of  buying,  but  don't  forget  that  he  dictates  the  purchase. 

I  will  briefly  name  over  some  of  the  places  where  creosoted 
wood  blocks  can  be  used  to  best  advantage.  Any  plant,  where  heavy 
material  is  handled,  is  our  largest  field.  Every  type  of  metal  manu- 
facturing plant  can  use  and  needs  a  creosoted  wood  block  floor. 
Among  the  lighter  service  conditions  are  breweries,  bakeries  and 
hotel  kitchens.  Wood  block  installations  are  in  all  of  these,  but  the 
areas  are  small  and  the  installations  few.  Railroad  shops,  freight 
houses,  and  platforms  offer  a-  large,  fertile  field.  Barns  and  farm 
buildings,  while  in  most  cases  offering  limited  yardage  in  single 
installations,  make  up  for  their  deficiency  by  their  number.  Con- 
crete is  killing  to  cattle  when  put  under  them  and  requires  heavy 
bedding.  Creosoted  wood  blocks  make  an  easy  floor  to  install  and 
are  warm  under  cattle  and  hogs,  make  a  sanitary  floor  and  one  that 
is  easily  cleaned. 

There  isn't  a  retail  lumber-  yard  in  any  small  town  that  can 
afford  to  be  without  a  stock  of  blocks  for  this  purpose  and  the 
volume  of  business  they  can  secure,  once  they  put  in  a  stock,  and 
advertise  the  fact,  will  be  gratifying  in  the  extreme.  It  is  here 
that  you  gentlemen,  through  your  small  town  lumber  yard,  can 
secure  a  pleasing  volume  of  business. 

It  is  largely  due  to  the  ease  with  which  cement  can  be  secured 
that  concrete  floors  in  barns  have  become  so  general  and  it  is  here 


SELLING     LUMBER 


389 


that  the  retailer  can  develop  a  field  worthy  of  his  best  efforts,  and 
at  the  same  time  benefit  his  customers  by  giving  them  something 
better  than  they  have  ever  used. 

I  am  not  familiar  with  the  class  of  stock  usually  sold  for  plank 
floor  purposes.  I  imagine,  however,  that  it  seldom  runs  over  2 
inches  in  thickness.  Let  us  figure  the  matter  in  a  different  way. 
On  a  floor  of  1,000  square  yards  there  would  be  needed  approx- 
imately 19,000  feet  B.  M.  of  2-inch  flooring  were  plank  used;  on 
the  other  hand,  figuring  on  2^-inch  blocks  (the  lightest  block 
made  for  shop  floors)  there  would  be  24,500  feet  B.  M.,  and  with 
a  standard  3-inch  block  27,000  feet  B.  'M.,  or  an  increase  of  lumber 
consumption  of  5,500  feet  B.  M.  as  a  minimum  or  8,000  feet  B.  M. 
as  a  standard.  From  the  viewpoint  of  the  lumber  manufacturer, 
this  should  be  of  vital  interest,  as  it  means  a  large  increase  in 
your  cut,  were  block  used  in  substitution  for  plank,  beside  the  fact 
that  the  plant  with  a  yellow  pine  floor  today  is  a  rarity  and  fast 
becoming  more  of  one. 


Ten  Reasons  for  the  Sale 
of  Wooden  Silos 

By  J.  Lewis  Thompson 

Chairman  Silo  Committee,  Southern  Pine 

Association 
Houston,  Texas 

First,  and  principal  reason,  is  because  we,  as  lumber  manu- 
facturers, can  furnish  the  material. 

Second — If  all  silos  being  built  each  year  (figuring  the  last 
five  years  as  an  average),  were  built  of  yellow  pine  it  would  re- 
quire 150,000,000  feet  of  yellow  pine  lumber  for  silos  alone. 

Third — The  building  of -silos  leads  to  the  further  use  of  lum- 
ber by  the  builder: 

(a)  Dipping  vats. 

(b)  Feed  and  water  troughs. 

(c)  Stock  pens. 

(d)  Better  barns. 


More  Wood 
Used  in 
Block  Floors 


Silo  Building 
Increases 
Other  Uses 
of  Lumber 


390 


SELLING     LUMBER 


The  Sale 
of  Silos 
a  Specialty 


Superior 
Points  of 
the  Wood 
Silo 


All  to  the  extent  that  it  is  estimated  by  some  of  the  close 
students  in  silo  and  stock  raising  that  the  investment  in  silos  in 
a  community  will  lead  in  many  instances  to  an  awakening  and 
start  a  building  era  or  campaign  with  the  result  that  the  silo  sale 
will  cause  a  double  quantity  of  lumber  to  be  used. 

Fourth — The  sale  of  silos  is  a  specialty  and  the  wooden  silo 
manufacturers  should  be  cultivated  by  both  the  lumber  salesman 
and  retail  lumber  dealers  for  the  reason  that  the  sale  of  silos 
means  further  use  of  lumber,  and  the  dealer  will  get  to  furnish 
this  lumber.  It  is  not  to  the  interest  of  the  dealer  that  substitutes 
be  used  because  building  of  cement  silos  means  cement  dipping 
vat,  water  troughs,  etc. 

Fifth — A  silo  should  be  built  out  of  wood  because  it  will 
preserve  ensilage  in  a  more  satisfactory  manner  than  a  silo  built 
out  of  any  other  material.  Wood  is  a  non-conductor,  therefore, 
ensilage  will  cure  and  keep  better  in  a  wooden  silo,  and  leaves 
your  ensilage  in  a  sweeter  and  more  perfect  condition,  therefore 
reduces  spoiled  ensilage  tc  a  minimum. 

Sixth — It  is  easier  to  repair  a  wooden  silo.  By  this  I  mean 
that  should  a  cement  or  tile  silo  show  a  defect  in  sone  part  of  it, 
it  would  be  a  whole  lot  harder  to  repair  than  it  would  if  a  defect 
should  show  up  in  a  wooden  silo,  because  about  all  you  would 
have  to  do  in  a  wooden  silo  would  be  to  put  in  some  new  staves. 

Seventh — A  wooden  silo  can  be  erected  at  a  much  less  cost 
and  if  a  man  wanted  to  move  a  silo  from  a  certain  part  of  the 
farm  to  another,  he  can  certainly  move  a  wooden  silo  a  great 
deal  easier  than  he  could  a  silo  made  out  of  any  other  material. 

Eighth — The  difference  in  the  cost  of  a  wooden  silo  as  com- 
pared to  any  other  silo  having  the  same  capacity  is  enough  less 
to  maintain  the  upkeep  of  the  wooden  silo,  and  the  user  has  as  his 
profit  interest  charges  on  the  additional  outlay,  and,  it  is  esti- 
mated, about  10  per  cent  more  ensilage. 

Ninth — The  wooden  silo  has  a  known  life  of  twenty-five 
years,  and  it  is  not  certain  that  either  steel  or  cement  would  last 
so  long.  Some  authorities  maintain  that  wood  has  the  longest 
life  for  ensilage. 

Tenth — The  wooden  silo  can  supply  the  small  users  (feed- 
ing as  few  as  ten  head)  requiring  silos  of  fifty  tons  capacity  and 
less.  Then  big  development  of  the  future  will  come  from  this 
source. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


391 


Some  Arguments  Supporting  the  Ten  Reasons  for  Wooden  Silos. 

One   manufacturer   writes    as    follows: 

"A  case  of  more  than  ordinary  interest  has  just  come  to  my 
attention.  Mr of ,  who  is  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness in  some  capacity,  two  years  ago  bought  an  Imperishable 
Vitrified  silo,  as  he  wanted  something  that  would  last  for  all  time 
and  would  not  give  him  any  trouble.  Last  week  he  offered  to 
give  it  away  to  anyone  who  would  remove  it,  and  one  of  his  neigh- 
bors has  offered  to  take  it  down  and  will  use  the  block  for  build- 
ing a  foundation  for  a  hog  house.  It  seems  to  me  that  inasmuch 
as  he  was  in  a  sense  knocking  his  own  game  that  it  serves  him 
about  right,  and  he  might  give  you  something  which  wrould  be  of 
advantage  to  you  if  you  would  go  after  him  the  right  way.  We 
have  not  yet  secured  his  order  for  a  silo,  although  we  fully  ex- 
pect to  do  so." 

Another  authority  has  this  to  say: 

"The  main  reason  for  wood  silos  is  because  wood  makes  a 
better  silo  for  the  purpose  for  which  silos  are  built;  that  is,  to 
preserve  green  feed  in  a  sweet  and  palatable  condition  for  cattle. 
Now,  if  a  wood  silo  is  properly  taken  care  of,  that  is,  if  it  is  roofed 
and  painted  on  the  outside  and  the  anchors  are  put  on  as  any 
manufacturer  suggests  on  his  particular  kind  of  building,  it  will 
be  a  building  that  will  keep  sweet,  palatable  ensilage  for  a  great 
many  years.  We  have  been  in  the  silo  business  now  fourteen 
years  and  our  oldest  silos  that  have  been  only  fairly  well  taken 
care  of  are  still  performing  this  function.  We  know  of  no  other 
substitute  which  has  been  used  this  long  or  even  half  so  long 
that  has  not  had  a  great  deal  of  complaint,  and  this  complaint, 
wherever  I  have  investigated,  has  been  because  of  more  or  less 
spoilage  of  ensilage." 

"Now,  the  thing  I  have  seen  about  the  masonry  silos  that 
are  built  up,  such  as  tile,  brick,  cement  block,  cement  stave,  etc., 
is  that  the  mortar  is  usually  of  such  material  that  it  soon  cracks 
or  crumbles  away,  leaving  small  or  large  holes  between  the  joints 
all  through  the  silo.  The  stave  silo,  when  the  joint  gets  open, 
merely  have  to  have  the  hoops  tightened,  which  eliminates  these 
openings  or  cracks.  They  cannot  be  eliminated  when  mortar 
crops  out  of  the  joints  in  the  brick,  cement  or  tile  silo  wall.  The 
steel  silo  has  not  come  into  much  prominence  because  it  is  very 


Arguments 
Supporting 
the  Ten 
Reasons  for 
Wooden 
Silos 


Wooden 
Silos  Pre- 
serve Green 
Feed  Best 


392 


SELLING     LUMBER 


Faults  of 
Other  Silos 


•Economy 
of  the 
Wooden  Silo 


Repairs  Easy 
in  Wooden 
Silos 


expensive  and  so  far  they  have  never  made  a  good  joint,  so  that 
the  leakage  at  the  joints  has  been  so  bad  they  have  not  been  con- 
sidered much  in  the  silo  world.  Should  they  be  built  like  steam 
boilers,  riveted  tight,  they  could  probably  eliminate  this,  but  the 
cost  would  then  be  prohibitive. 

'"Now  the  main  business  reason  that  we  find  appeals  to  the 
farmer  as  to  why  he  should  build  a  wood  stave  silo  rather  than 
a  so-called  permanent  construction  of  cement,  brick,  tile  or  ce- 
ment stave,  is  that  the  cost  of  a  good  wood  stave  silo  is  from  one- 
half  to  two-thirds  the  cost  of  a  silo  of  the  same  size  built  of  the 
so-called  permanent  construction.  For  instance,  say  a  wood  stave 
silo  cost  $200  and  the  same  in  masonry  $350,  the  other  $150  in- 
vested in  a  good  bull  or  in  two  good  cows  or  in  a  bunch  of  calves 
would  make  the  farmer  so  much  money  that  in  the  course  of  four 
or  five  years  he  could  easily  build  another  silo  with  the  profit 
made  from  the  difference  in  the  investment,  and,  after  all,  the 
majority  of  buyers  of  silos  are  men  who  cannot 'afford  to  throw 
away  $150  just  to  have  a  fancy,  high  priced  building  on  their 
farms/' 

A  general  sales  manager  for  one  of  the  largest  silo  manu- 
facturers in  the  West  has  this  to  say: 

"One  of  our  arguments  which  is  used  quite  effectively  by 
our  salesmen  is  the  fact  that  should  a  stave  silo  blow  down,  which 
is  about  the  only  objection  you  ever  hear  to  a  stave  silo,  it  can  be 
re-erected  or  rebuilt  with  but  little  cost,  whereas  if  a  masonry  silo 
cracks  or  goes  to  the  bad,  if  a  metal  silo  blows  down  or  is  decayed 
from  the  action  of  the  acids  which  are  developed  in  the  ensilage, 
if  a  block  silo  foundation  settles  and  causes  it  to  break  open ;  the 
loss  is  almost  an  entire  loss ;  it  cannot  be  patched  up  or  rebuilt  and 
the  owner  is  daily  reminded  of  the  fact  that  he  made  a  bad  buy  in 
the  original  purchase  of  his  silo. 

"Another  feature,  which  is  in  favor  of  wood  stave  silos,  is  the 
fact  that  the  silo  manufacturer  of  other  materials  realizes  that 
it  is  impossible  for  him  to  compete  with  us  so  far  as  price  is  con- 
cerned, hence  they  advocate  a  larger  silo  than  is:  practical.  They 
talk  and  recommend  silos  of  200  tons  capacity  and  up,  which,  of 
course,  figures  cheaper  per  ton  on  a  tonnage  basis  than  a  silo  of 
100  tons  capacity.  You  can  readily  see  the  difference  as  shown." 


SELLINGLUMBER  393 

Cutting  Out  the  Traveling 
Salesman 

From  "Commerce  and  Finance,"  June  21,  1916. 

There  has  been  an  ardent  discussion  in  many  trade  lines  over 
the  question  whether  the  traveling  salesman  was  not  becoming  a 
useless  factor  owing  to  the  widespread  use  of  the  multitude  of 
forms  of  advertising.  Some  of  the  parties  at  interest  believe  the 
day  of  the  traveling  salesman  is  nearly  done;  others  insist  that 
much  of  the  advertising  is  wasted  and  that  between  the  need  of 
keeping  men  on  the  road  and  the  necessity  for  heavier  and  heavier 
advertising  to  keep  up  with  the  broader  competition  the  cost  to  the 
sales  department  is  increased. 

Life  would  be  bleak,  if  not  barren,  in  many  small  cities  and 
jerkwater  towns  if  the  commercial  traveler  should  disappear  from 
the  business  life  of  America.     The  railroads  and  the  hotels  would 
suffer.     The  drummer  is  too  much  of  an  institution  to  be  wiped 
out.     He  has  his  virtues  and  his  vices.     He  has  sinned,  perhaps,   q^e  Salesman 
in   misrepresentation   and  has   made   life   woeful    for   many   a   re-   An  Institution 
tailer  who  was  impressed  by  his  suavity  and  his  persistence.     Too 
many   of   them,   no   doubt,   considered   their   mission    was   to   sell 
goods   and   that   it   was   the  buyer's   affair   and   not   theirs   if   he 
happened   to   be   deceived.      But  there  have   been  honest,   upright 

men  among  them.     Lots  of  them.     The  traveling  salesman  is  not  need- 
less.    His   sphere   is   contracting,   but  there   are  many,  many   thousands 
of  drummers   "on   the   road"   today   and   there   will   be   many   thousands 
for  years  to  come.     One   commercial  travelers'  organization   has  48,000 
members.      The    weekly   and   monthly   publications,    the    greater   use    of 
printed    and    illustrated   advertising   matter,    the    form    letter    and    many 
styles  of  printed  appeal  have  made  him  less  of  a  power,  but  he  still  re- 
mains a  power.     There  is  great  potency  in  personal  solicitation.     There 
is  great  potency  in  advertising,  also.    There  has  been  waste,  much  waste, 
in   the    drummer's   work,   just   as    there   has   been    and   there   is    now   in 
various  kinds  of  advertising.     One  of  the  greatest  advances  in  advertis-    *phe  "Drum- 
ing  has  been  in  its  increased  honesty.     The  cleaner  and  the  more  abso-    mer»  Still 
lutely  honest  it  becomes  the  more  powerful  it  will  become.     The  drum-    a  power 
mer,  too,  has  given  up  many  of  his  bad  ways. 

Honesty  has  proven  to  be  the  best  policy  in  American  selling. 

The  traveling  salesman  once  had  the  field  almost  to  himself.  He 
has  tremendous  competition  today.  He  is  not  going  to  be  wiped  out, 
but  he  will  improve  in  his  character  and  serve  well  his  somewhat  more 
restricted  field. 


394  SELLINGLUMBER 

Roll  of  Attendance  at  the 
School  of  Salesmanship 

ALLEN,  J.  B 'W.  T.  Ferguson  Lumber  Co.  .Centralia,  111. 

AUSTIN,  G.  N Kirby  Lumber  Company. . .  Chicago,  111. 

ASH,  CHARLES  S Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Topeka,  Kansas. 

ALLISON,  F.  E Sabine  Lumber  Co 

ANSON,  MARK Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exch.  Co.. .  Muscatine,  Iowa 

ALTMAN,  H.  P La.  Red  Cypress  Company.  Chicago,  111. 

AINSWORTH,  G.  W Southern  Lumber  Company  Marshalltown,  la. 

ATKINSON,  C.  G ..-Great  Southern  Lbr.  'Co..  .Indianapolis,  Ind. 

ASHTON,    C.    J Detroit,  Mich. 

ARNOLD,  S.  W Mills  &  Arnold Kirksville,  Mo. 

AFFLECK,  R.  G Central   Coal  &  Coke  Co..  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

ANDERSON,  L.  B St.  Tammany  Lbr.  Mifg.  Co..  Memphis,  Tenn. 

AUSTIN,  J.  H.,  JR W.  R.  Pickering  Lbr.  Co..  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

ARNOLD,  A.  F Long-Bell    Lbr.    Co Amarillo,  Texas 

BEARDSLEY,  A.  H..  ..Antrim  Lumber  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BONNER,  B.  F iKirby  Lumber  'Co Houston,  Tex. 

BARROW,  E.  L Kirby  Lumber  -Co El  Paso,  Tex. 

BERGER,  FRED Long-Belji  Lumber  Co Kalamazoo,  Mich. 

BROWNE,  R.  E Kirby  Lumber  Co New  York  City 

BARRETT,  D.   M World's  Salesmanship 

Congress Detroit,  Mich. 

BARWICK,  S.  E Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Chicago,  111. 

BEEBE,  W.  M Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

BORRESEN,  JULES  T Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Pine  Bluff,  Ark. 

BAIRD,  W.  N Vredenburgh  Saw  Mill  Co..  Vredenburgh,  Ala. 

BELL,  W.  H National  Lbr.  Mfgs'  Assn.. .  .St.  Louis,  Mo. 


BATCHELDER,  J.  D Frost- 

BRASHEAR,  T.  F Fnost- 

BLISS,  V.   E Fnost- 

BUCKNER,  H.  G Friost- 

BEARDEN,  R.  B Fnost- 


ohnson  Lbr.  Co Shreveport,  La. 

ohnson  Lbr.  Co Hearne,  Tex. 

ohnson  Lbr.  Co Des  Moines,  Iowa 

ohnson  Lbr.  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

oihnson  Lbr.  Co Cleveland,  Ohio 


BEARD,  C.  C Southern  Lumber  Co Chicago,  111. 

BOWER,  E.  G W.  R.  Pickering  Lbr.  Co.. .  Dallas,  Tex. 

BLAKE,  THOMAS  W South  Texas  Lumber  Co.. .  Houston,  Tex. 

BOEHNE,  E.  E International  Creosoting  & 

Construction  Co Galveston,  Tex. 

BULTMAN,  WILLIAM  H...Natalbany  Lbr.  Co.  (Ltd.)  .  .Indianapolis,  Ind. 

BISSELL,  S.  B Wausau  Southern  Lbr.  Co..  Laurel,  Miss. 

BISSELL,  M.  H Marathon  Lbr.  Co Laurel,  Miss. 

BITTING,  DR.  CHAS.  W..  ..Pastor  Sec'd  Baptist  Church. St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BURGOYNE,  C.  R Bagdad  Land  &  Lbr.  Co.. .  Pensacola,  Fla. 

BOSTWICK,  R.   H Ship   Island   Lumber   Co..  .  Sanford,  Miss. 

BARKER,  H.  W Southern  Lumber  <Co Waterloo,  Iowa 

BARTLETT,  D.  H Southern  Lumber  Co Sioux  Citv,  la. 

BOWMAN,  C.  A Hall  &  Legan  Lumber  Co.. St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BROWN,  E.  W Southern  Pine  Association.  New  Orleans,  La. 

BIEDERMAN,  W.  F Natl.  Lbr.  Mfgs'  Credit 

Corporation    St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BOYD,  JAMES Lumber  Trade  Journal. . . .  New  Orleans,  La. 

BOWMAN,  H.  J Hall  &  Legan  Lumber  Co.  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

BROOKS,  ROBERT  H Arkansas  Soft  Pine  Bureau  Little  Rock,  Ark. 

BARNS,  H.  M - Mo.  Lbr.  8-  Land  Exc.  Co..  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

BRINKMAN,   BERT Oniel-Wites  Lumber  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 


SELLINGLUMBER  395 


BOYKIN,  L.  J Gulf  Lumber  Co Houston,  Tex.     . 

BARRY,  W.  M Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co. . .  .Galesburg,  111. 

BRIGHT,  O.  O O.  O.  Bright St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BRANTLEY,  JACK  E Great  Southern  Lbr.   Co. . .  Chicago,  111. 

BAY,  M.  C Bay  Bros.  Lumber  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BEHAN,  W.  L Southern  Pine  Lumber  Co.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BUHMANN,   W.   J Keith  Lumber  Company. ..  Voth,  Texas 

BODKIN,  J.  A Kane  Lumber  Company. ..  Birmingham,  Ala. 

BOWERS,  FRED  J Mansfield,  Ohio 

BARKSDALE,  C.  A Gilchrist-Fordney  Company  .Laurel,    Miss. 

BARNS,  F.  R St.   Louis  Lumberman St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BODWELL,  D.  R Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

BALDWIN,  O.  E F.  G.  Hanly  Cypress  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BUCKLEW,  L.  L Recent  U .  S.  Agent  to  South 

America St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BRIDGES,  R.  C . . .  M.  Garrett  Lumber  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

BOYLE,   L.   C Spec.  Counsel  So.  Pine  Assn.  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

COLIN,  W.  ELMO Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co.Tulsa,  Okla. 

CAHILL,  R.  E Kirby  Lumber  Company.  . .  San  Antonio,  Tex. 

CLARK,  R.  C Tremont  Lbr.   Co Chicago,  111 

CRANE,  C.  D Kirby  Lbr.  Co Columbus,  Ohio 

COOL,  J.  E Gulf  Lumber  Company.  . .  .  East  St.  Louis,  111. 

CHIPMAN,  J.   B Frost-Johnson  Lumber  Co.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

CONDIT,  C.  F Frost-Johnson   Lumber   Co.  Detroit,  Mich. 

CARROLL,  A.  J J.  J.  Newman  Lbr.  Co Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

COLVIN,  W.  E Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co.  Tulsa,  Okla. 

CLEMENTS,  GEO.  G Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co.  Marengo,  Iowa 

CRAWFORD,  O.   E.. W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co.. .  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

CROOK,  HARRY Sabine  Lumber  Company.  ..St.  Louis,   Mo. 

CASTLEN,  GEO Sabine  Lumber  Company.  ..St.  Louis,   Mo. 

COUNCIL,  F.  S Natalbany  Lbr.    Co.    (Ltd)  Jackson,  Miss. 

CORRINGTON,  W.  J Sabine  Lumber  Company. .  St.   Louis,   Mo. 

COOPER,  JOHN  R J.  J.  Newman  Lumber  Co.  Paducah,    Ky. 

COOK,  BERT  E Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co.. . .  Chicago,  111. 

CARSON,  MCMILLAN Marathon  Lumber  Co Aurora,  111. 

CARROLL,  D.  S Sabine  Lumber  Company. .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

CALE,  DAVE  H California  Sugar  &  White 

Pine   Co Wichita,  Kan. 

CUST,  R.  M Lumber  Mineral  Company.  Arbo,  Miss. 

CUM  MINGS,  A.  E W.  I.  McKee  Lumber  Co.. .  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

CHRISTY,  JOHN Hall  &  Legan  Lbr.  Co Alton,  111. 

CAMPBELL,  F.  H Peavy-Byrnes   Lbr.   Co Shreveport,La. 

CROZIER,  R.  O -Gulf  Lumber  Company Ft.  Worth,  Tex. 

CONNER,  D.  H Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Ft.  Worth,  Tex. 

CONNER,  A.  B Long-Bell  Lumber  Co San  Antonio,  Tex. 

CARRE,  TUDOR  B W.  W.  Carre  Co.  (Ltd)  . . .  New  Orleans,  La. 

CHAFFEE,  C.  L Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co.. . .  Norfolk,  Neb. 

CASE,  L.  S Southern  Lumber  Co St.  Paul,  Minn. 

CRAWFORD,   O.   E W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co Indianapolis,  Ind. 

CRAWFORD,  J.  E Louisiana  Saw  Mill  Co.. . .  Lake  Charles,  La. 

CLARK,  GEO.  S Tremont  Lumber  Co Winfield,  La. 

CAUTEN,  E.  F Southern  Lumber  Co Dubuque,    Iowa 

DIONNE,  J.  C Gulf  Coast  Lumberman Houston,  Tex. 

EteMuTH,  H.  L Industrial    Lumber-  Co Elizabeth^  La. 

DuPAGE,  R.   P Kirby    Lumber   Company.  ..Kansas  City,  Mo. 

DENMAN,  W.  F Kirby   Lumber  Company. .  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

DUNHAM,  F.  V Southern  Pine  Association. .  New  Orleans,  La. 

Dix,  WILL  C Long-Bell   Lumber   Co Memphis,  Tenn. 

DRIPPS,  W.  B ; Frost- Johnson  Lumber  Co..  .Indianapolis,  Ind. 

DAVIDSON,  NEAL Sabine  Lumber  Company. .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


396  SELLINGLUMBER 


DUMM,  A.  A Sabine  Lumber  Company. .  Houston,   Tex. 

DIERKS,  H.  L Dierks  Lumber  &  Coal  Co. . .  .Kansas  City,  Mo. 

DARLING,  E •  Wausau  Southern  Lbr.  Co. . .  Elkhart,  Ind. 

DILLING,  J.  J The  Stout  Lumber  Co '1  hornton,  Ark. 

DONNER,  J S.  H.  Bolinger  &  Co Shreveport,  La. 

DULANY,  GEO.  W Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co..  .  .Lafayette,  Ind. 

DEGENHART,  H.  J :.Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co.. . .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

DIAMOND,  J.  E Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co.. . .  Cleveland,  Ohio 

DOLLARHIDE,  E.  M Gates  Lumber  Company.  . .  .  Chicago,  111. 

DICKINSON,  GEO.  I .Dickinson  Lumber  Co Indianapolis,  Ind. 

DIXON,  WM Payton   Lbr.  &  Supply  Co.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

ESTES,  W.   M Industrial  Lumber  Co Temple,  Tex. 

EVANS,  CHAS.  A W.  R.  Pickering  Lbr.  Co...  Waco,  Tex. 

ELBRING,  W.  H J.  J.  Newman  Lbr.  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

EATON,  H.  C Long-Bell   Lumber    Co Waco,  Tex. 

EDDY,  J.    H Kaul  Lumber  Company Birmingham,  Ala. 

ESTES,  T.  H Eastman,  Gardiner  &  Co. ..  Nashville,  Tenn. 

EATON.  R.  K Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co..Des  Moines,  la. 

EICHOFF,  D.  J -American    Lumberman Chicago,   111. 

EMBREE,  J.  W..  . .- Arkansas  &  Richton  Lbr.  Co. .Chicago,    111. 

EAKIN,  J.  R Edgar  Lumber  Company.  . .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

ELDER,  E.  F Grayson-McLeod  Lbr.  Co..  Wichita,   Kan. 

ECKHARD,  E.  B F.  G.  Hanly  Cypress  Co Carbondale,  111. 

FARNAN,  W.  E Kirby  Lumber  Company.  . .  Houston,  Tex. 

FULLERTON,  S.  H.,  JR Gulf  Lumber  Company East  St.  Louis,  111. 

FOEMER,  J.  F Frost-Johnson   Lumber   Co.- Ft.  Worth,  Tex. 

FARIES,  R.  O Kirby  Lumber  Company. . .  Houston,  Tex. 

FERGUSON,  J.  W Sabine  Lumber  Company. . .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

FERGUSON,  J.  D Sabine  Lumber  Company.  . .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

FRANKE,  C.  S Sabine  Lumber  Company.  . .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

FELLOWS,  W.  C Kaul  Lumber  Company.  . .  .  Birmingham,  Ala. 

FARLEY,  J.  D La.  Red  Cypress   Co Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

FRIEND,    GEO Southern  Lumber  Co Des  Moines,  la. 

FINCH,  J.   E Southern  Lumber  Co Warren,  Ark. 

FOSTER,  E.  E Pennington-Foster  Co Houston,  Tex. 

FOSTER,  H.  L iFordyce  Lumber  Company.  Fordyce,  Ark. 

FOSTER,  G.  W Gates  Lumber  Company.  . . .  Wilmar,   Ark. 

FERGUSON,  E,  D Southern  Lumber  Company  Blyth'eville,  Ark. 

FARGUHOR,  J.  S J.  S.  Farguhor  Lbr.  Co Fredericktown,  Mo. 

FERRY,  WALLACE  J Ferry-Hanly-Schott  Adv. 

Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

GODDARD,  L.  B Cordia  Timber  Co Pharlock,  Mo. 

GILLESPIE,  A.  J Lothman  Cypress  Co St.    Louis,    Mo. 

GEAGAN,  J.  H Tremont  Lbr.   Co Win  field,    La. 

GRE^N,  CHAS.  W Long-Bell   Lumber   Co Toledo,  Ohio 

GRAY,  TH  os Kirby    Lumber    Company.  ..Buffalo,   N.   Y. 

GOT  PEL,  FRANK Gulf  Lumber  Company East  St.  Louis,  111. 

GRAY,  Jos.  P Sabine  Lumber  Company. . .  St.   Louis,   Mo. 

GLASSOW,  A.  J .Wausau  Southern  Lbr.  Co.-Laurel,  Miss. 

GRISSOM,  HERBERT Ferry-Hanly-Schott  Adv. 

Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

GLASGOW,   M.  M Bagdad  Land  &  Lbr.  Co...  Bagdad,  Fla. 

GREGG,   HUBERT La.  Red  Cypress  Co Indianapolis,  Ind. 

GLADDING,  N.  A E.  C.  Atkins  &  Company. .  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

GRONEU,  J.  W Weyerhaeuser  Sales  Co.. . .  Cedar  Rapids,  la. 

GEARHEARD,  O.  E Dibert,  Stark  &  Brown 

Cypress  Company Donner,  La. 

GIBBONS,  J.  G J.  J.  Newman  Lumber  Co.  Scran-ton,   La. 


SELLINGLUMBER  397 


GRIFFIN,  RANSOM Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co..  .  Kansas   City,  Mo. 

GODFREY,  E.  C H.  I.  Isbell Elkhart,  Ind. 

GODLEY,  W.  L »V.   R.   Pickering  Lbr.  Co..  Wichita,  Kan. 

GRAVES,  PERRY  H Natalbany  Lbr.  Co Springfield,   111. 

GERBER,  FRED  A Granahl  Lumber  Company.  ., St.  Louis,  Mo. 

GRAYSON,   ED Ozan-Graysonia  Lbr.   Co. ..St.  Louis,  Mo. 

GARRETT,  T.  H.,  ]& T.   H.   Garrett  Lbr.   Co.. . .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

GREEN,  CIIAS Eastman,  Gardiner  &  Co.. .  Laurel,  Miss. 

HANFORD,  THOS....  W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co.. .  Chicago,  111. 

HODGE,  O.  E Huie-Hodge  Lbr.  Co bodge,  La. 

HALLOWELL,  R.  M Industrial  Lumber  Co E'.izabeth,   La. 

HILZHEIM,  H.  G Tremont  Lumber  Co Jackson,   Miss. 

HONNES,  WILLIS Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Oklahoma  City,  Ok. 

HATCHER,  J.  H Kirby  Lumber  Company.  . .  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

HOUSTON,  GEO Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Cleveland,  Ohio 

HESS,  WM Gnlf   Lumber  Company. . .  .  East  St.  Louis,  111. 

HOUSTON,  A.  M Gv.lf  Lumber  Company. . .  .  East  St.  Louis,  111. 

HICKS,  W.  T Gulf   Lumber  Company. . .  .  Detroit,  Mich. 

HENRY,  W.  L Gulf  Lumber  Company. ...  Springfield,  111. 

HANGER,  C.  M Frost- Johnson    Lumber   Co.  Morocco,  Ind. 

HERD,   J.    F Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co..  .St.  Louis,  Mo. 

HURST,  E.  J Homoohitto  Lbr.    Co Bude,  Miss. 

HEYL,  JAS.  H Eastman,  Gardiner  &  Co..  .  Columbus,  O'hio 

HEROIC,  OTTO Wausau   Southern  Lbr.  Co.  Peoria,   111. 

HOOVER,  H.  A La.  Red   Cypress  Co Ashley,  111. 

HOOPER,  L.  E.,  JR La.  Red  Cypress  Co Memphis,  Tenn. 

HUEY,  N.  H Oregon   Lumber   Company.  Chicago,  111. 

HEDLUND,  O.  L Southern  Lumber  Company  Sioux  City,  la. 

HOYT,  H.   H La.    Red   Cypress   Company  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 

HUDDLESTON,  L.  B Seattle  Cedar  Lbr.  Mfg.  Co..  Cleveland,  Ohio 

HOWLAND,  W.  C Lumber   World  Review.  ...  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

HEITERT,  E.  L Dibert  Stark  &  Brown 

Cypress    Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

HOWE,  WILLARD   C American   Lumberman Chicago,   111. 

HILLIARD,  J.  A Burton-Swartz  Cypress  Co. 

of  Florida Perry,  Fla. 

HOUCK,  C.  H .Southern  Lumber  Company  Warren,  Ark. 

HOUCK,  H.  B Southern  Lumber  Company  Poplar  Bluff,  Mo. 

HALE,  M.  J Central  Lumber   Company.  Brookhaven,  Miss. 

HILTORS,   E.   R Crossett  Lumber  Company.  Hirron,  Ohio 

HOLLOWAY,  J.  T H'ne-Hodee  Lumber  Co..  .  Hodge,  La. 

HINES,  EDWARD Edward  Hines  Lumber  Co-Chicago,  111. 

HAYNES,  HENNER Great  Southern  Lumber. Co..  Memphis,  Tenn. 

HAYNES,  W.  P Hinton   Bros.   Lumber  Co..  Lumberton,  Miss. 

HAYWARD.  H.  W Long-Bell  Lbr.  Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

HILL,  A.  M Southern   Pine  Lumber  Co.  St.  Louis  Mo. 

HAMILTON,  A.  L Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co.  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

HINTZ,  J.  E Southern  Pine  Lbr.  Co. .....  Texarkana,  Texas 

HARRISON,  T.  W St.   Louis   Lumberman ....".  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

HUNTER,  R.  O Homochitto   Lumber    Co..  .-Soringfield,  111. 

HILL,  R.  E Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

HARWOOD,  T.  F W.  S.  Harwood  Lbr.  & 

Coal    Co Bloomington,   111. 

ISBELL,  G.  L W.  M.  Cady  Lumber  Co..  ..McNary,  La. 

ISBELL,  C.  B Crossett  Lumber  Company.  Elkhart,  Ind. 

ISBELL,  E.  E Southern  Pine  Lbr.  Co Texarkana,  Ark. 

LSBELL,  H.  I Finkbine  Lumber  Co Elkhart,  Ind. 

IRWIN,  H.  G Erie  Lumber   Company. ...  Erie,  Pa. 

IGOU,  H.  T Kirby  Lumber  Company Hutchinson,  Kan. 

IROME,  RAY  W Southern  Pine  Lumber  Co.  Centralia,  111. 


398  SELLING    LUMBER 


JENNINGS,  C.  P .BerthokL- Jennings  Lbr.  Co..  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

JENNINGS,  C.  J Kirby  Lbr.  Co Alice,  Texas 

JONES,  HARRY  D Long-Bell   Lumber   Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

JANES,  GEO.  M Long-Bell   Lumber   Co Wheeling.  W.  Va. 

JOHNSON,  BOLLING  A Lumber  World  Review. ...  'Chicago,   IU. 

JOHANNINGMEIER,  A.  C...Gulf  Lumber  Company.  . .  .  Bast  St.  Louis,  111. 

JOHNSON,  C.  D Frost-Johnson   Lumber    Co.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

JACKSON,  R.  O Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co.. .Dallas,  Texas 

JAMES,  HOYT Gulf  Lumber  Company.  ...  Houston,  Texas 

JONES,  J.  E Southern    Pine   Association. New  Orleans,  La. 

JOSEPH,  J.  A Retail    Lumberman Kansas  City,  Mo. 

JOHNSON,  C.  D.  JR Frost-Johnson  Lumber  Co.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

KING,    L.    G Tremont  Lumber  Company, Winfi eld,  La. 

KNOWLES,  C.  L Lon?-Bell    Lumber    Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

KENDALL,  J.  A Kirby    Lumber    Company.  .  .Peoria,  111. 

KREBS,  DR.  S.  L Philadelphia,  Pa. 

KUEHNLE,  FRED  C Long-Bell    Lumber    Co Cleveland,  C'hio 

KIRBY,  JIM Southern  Lumberman New  Orleans,  La. 

KENDALL,  H.  T Kirby    Lumber    Company.  ..Houston,  Texas 

KENNEDY,  J.  H J.  J.  Newman  Lbr.  Co Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

KOZA,  E.  G J.  J.  Newman  Lbr.  Co Quincy,  111. 

KRAUSS,  EDWARD  E Industrial  Lumber  Co Elizabeth,  La. 

KRAUSS,  A.  J St.  Tammany  Lbr.  Mfg.  Co..  New   Orleans,   La. 

KAUL,  JOHN  L Kaul    Lumber    Company.  . . .Birmingham,  Ala. 

KEITH,   CHAS.    S ....Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co..  ..Kansas  City,  Mo. 

LOTHMAN,  WM.,  JR...Lothman  Cypress  Company.  .St.  Louis,  Mo. 

LENNOX,  F.  J Kirby  Lumber  Company. . .  Waco,  Texas 

LACY,  V.   M Kirby  Lumber  Company.  ..  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

LANE,  J.  H Long-Bell  Lumber  Co New  York,  N.  Y. 

LAUGHLIN,  C.  J Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Lake  Charles,  La. 

LONG,  A.  C.,  JR Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Indianapolis,  Ind. 

LOWE,  B.  H Gulf  Lumber  Company. ...  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

LINNEMAN,  H.  E Gulf  Lumber  Company Fast  St.  Louis,  111. 

LEMONS,   C.   E Gulf  Lumber  Company.  . .  .  Aurora,  111. 

LOVITT,  I.  A -industrial  Lumber  Co Temple,  Texas 

LEMMONS.  E.  B J.  J.  Newman  Lumber  Co. .  . .  Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

LANDON,  V.   P Brooks-Scanlon  Company.  .  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

LATIMER,  J.  D International  Creosoting  & 

Construction    Co Galveston,  Texas 

LANEHART,  P.  M Eastman,  Gardiner  &  Co.. .  New  York,  N.  Y. 

LAMONT,  A.  E Arkansas  Land  &  Lbr.  Co.. . .  Malvern,  Ark. 

LANG,  JAMES    H Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

LOCKMAN,   ADAIR The  Germain  Company. ...  Chicago,  111. 

LOGAN,  M.  J Brooks-Scanlon  Company. .  Kentwood,  La. 

LANFORD,  THEO.  W Chicago  Lbr.  &  Coal  Co. 

of  Washington Kansas  City,  Mo. 

LJNGHAM,  L.  C Homochitto   Lumber    Co.. .  Cleveland,  Ohio 

LAWRENCE,   P.  J P.  J.  Lawrence  Lbr.  Co. . .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

McCOOLE,  A.  F Hill-Behan  Lumber  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

MCCLELLAND,  E.  M Sabine  Lumber  Company. .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

McGiLL,  K.   E Mo.  Land  &  Lbr.  Exc.  Co. . Chicago.  111. 

McLsoD,  NELSON  W German  Savings  Institution.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

MCCARTHY,  J.  T Kirby    Lumber    Company.  ..Houston,  Texas 

MCLAUGHLIN,  HUGH  S...Wausau  So.  Lbr.  Co Jackson,  Miss. 

MCCRACKEN,  G.   P Kaul  Lbr.  Co Birmingham,  Ala. 

MCDONNELL,  L.  T American   Lumberman New  Orleans,  La. 

McCLURE,  C.  K Hall   &   Legan    Company. .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

McVEY,  C.  B Eastman,  Gardiner  &  Co.. .   vashin°:ton,  111. 

McKEE,  R.  E Long-Bell   Lumber   Co St.  Lonis,  Mo. 


SELLINGLUMBER  399 


McCooLE,  A.   F Southern  Pine  Lumber  Co.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

McGiLL,   E.   H Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co..Kansas  City,  Mo. 

McKEE,  H.  L Chicago  Lbr.  &  Coal  Co. 

of    Washington Kansas  City,  Mo. 

MCDONNELL,  SUMNER...M.  W.  McDonnell  &  Sons.Chicago,  111. 

MILLER,  J.   H Kirby  Lumber  Company. . .  .Dallas,  Texas 

MOSES,  JOHN  E Long-Bell   Lumber   Co Oskaloosa,  la. 

MAUK,  E.  H Kirby  Lumber  Company. . .  Toledo,  Ohio 

MEREDITH,  D.  R Long-Bell   Lumber   Co Toledo,  Ohio 

MOORE,  R.  L Long-Bell   Lumber   Co Houston,  Texas 

MOLT,  A.  J Frost- Johnson  Lumber   Co.. St.  Louis,  Mo. 

MEYER,  J.  A Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co., St.  Louis,  Mo. 

MILLER,    B.    H Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co-Oklahoma  City,  Ok. 

MEYER,   F.    A Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co.. Indianapolis,  Ind. 

MARTIN,  C.  E Sabine  Lumber  Company.  .  Cedar  Rapids,  la. 

MORTON,  W.  A Kaul  Lumber  Company. . . .  Birmingham,  Ala. 

MILLER,  H.  C Marathon  Lbr.  Co Columbus,  Ohio 

MC.CLANAHAN,  J.  A La.  Red  Cypress  Co Peoria,  111. 

MUHL,  Louis  E Southern  Lumber  Company  Fort  Dodge,  la. 

MUCKE,  A.  G Ozan-Graysonia  Lbr.   Co.. .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

MEAD,   P.   H Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co..  .  Erie,  Pa. 

MYERS,  C.  W W.  R.   Pickering  Lbr.  Co..  Detroit,  Mich. 

MASON,  O.  A Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co.. .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

MILLS,    HORACE Mills  &  Arnold Kirksville,  Mo. 

MEDES,  W.   B W.   R.  Pickering  Lbr.    Co. .  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

MILLER,  LEO  P Crossett  Lumber  Company.. Danville,  III. 

Moss,   HERBERT Carter-Kelley  Lumber  Co..  .Manning,  Texas 

MONTGOMERY,  HARVEY...  W.   R.    Pickering  Lbr.    Co.. St.  Louis,  Mo. 

MULLEN,   C.   C Long-Bell   Lumber   Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

MARSHALL,  L.  J Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co.. .  Chanute,  Kan. 

MARTIN,  WILBER Crossett  Lumber  Co Beatrice,  Neb. 

MARTIN,  J.  K Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co..  ..Terre  Haute,  Ind 

MORELAND,  C.  H Kaul  Lumber  Company Birmingham,  Ala. 

McCoAL,  A.  F 

MANSFIELD,  C.  J Central  Kansas  Lumber  Co..  Warren,  Ark. 

McCoRMACK,  IF.  H Wisconsin  &  Arkansas  Lbr. 

Company Madison,  Ark. 

MCFARLAND,  H.  F Long-Bell   Lumber    Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

McVEY,    HUGH ''Successful  Farming" Des  Moines,  la. 

NELSON,  M.  B Long-Bell   Lumber   Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

NOYES,  A.  H Ayer  &  Lord  Tie  Company.  Chicago,  111. 

NICHOLS,  J.  L Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co. .Peoria,  111. 

NOONE,  WALTER  J J.  J.  Newman  Lumber  Co.. Indianapolis,  Ind. 

NEWMAN,  J.  E Arkansas  Lumber  Co Warren,  Ark. 

NUGENT,    WALKER M.  E.  Magruder  &  Co Peoria,  111. 

NICHOLS,  MARVIN Crossett   Lumber    Company.  Muncie,  Ind, 

NICOL,  H.  B ; Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co... .Des  Moines,  la. 

NELSON,  T.  H T.   H.   Nelson  Lumber  Co.. Indianapolis,  Ind. 

OLDHAM,  J.  F.. Van    Cleve    Saw    Mill    Co..St.  Louis,  Mo. 

OLIVER,  R.  J 'Fort    Smith   Lumber   Co. . .  .Kansas  City,  Mo. 

O'BRIEN,  L.  J St.  Tammany  Lbr.  &  Mfg. 

Company New  Orleans,  La. 

PEARSALL,  A.  W Kirby  Lumber  Company Ft.  Worth,  Tex. 

PARKER,  ALLEN Tremont  Lumber  Company.  Win  field,  La. 

PRESTRIDGE,  J.  S Wichita,  Kan. 

PORTER,  J.  L Sabine  Lumber  Company.  ..St.  Louis,  Mo. 

PECK,  R.  B ; . .  W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co..  ..Cleveland,  Ohio 

PARKER,  N.  T : Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co. .  ..Lincoln,  Neb. 

PRENTESS,  W.  H C.  A.  Mauk  Lumber  Co...  Toledo,  Ohio 

PiRicE,  R.  S Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co. . .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


400  SELLING     LUMBER 


PORTER,  ALBERT  L La.  Red  Cypress  Co Cleveland,  Ohio 

PRATT,  C.  A La.  Red  Cypress  Co rsas  City,  Mo. 

POTEET,  GEO.  A Great  Southern  Lumber  Co. .  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

PENDLETON,  E.  E Southern    Pine    Association.  !\ew  Orleans,  La. 

PIER,  W.  A Lumberman  Exc.  of 

St.    Louis St.  Louis,  Mo. 

PARMINTER,  L.  I Long-Bell    Lumber    Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

PRICE,  CHAS.   E William    Buchanan St.  Louis,  Mo. 

PFEFFER,  OTTO  G 'Dian  Lbr.  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

PADDOCK,  P Richton  Lumber  Company.  Springfield,  111. 

PARSONS,  N.  H Southern  Lumber  Company  Rockford,  111. 

REEVES,  T.  W Pine   Belt    Lumber    Co Pinebelt,  Ala. 

ROBERTSON,  A.  F.  S W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co..  ..Centralia,   111. 

RICHARDS,  H.  VIRGIL Long-Bell    Lumber    Co Indianapolis,  Ind. 

RIEDEL,  O.  S Kirby    Lumber    Company.  ..Salina,  Kan. 

ROBINSON,  W.  S Long-Bell    Lumber    Co Abingdon,  111. 

RUGG,  F.  O Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co.. .  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

REHEIS,  JNO.  K St.  Louis 'Lumber  Co, St.  Louis,  Mo. 

RIDER,  W.  A Frost-Johnson   Lumber   Co.  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

ROBINSON,  S.  A Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co..  .St.   Louis,  Mo. 

REICHART,  L.  D W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co. ...St.  Louis,  Mo. 

ROBERTSON,  MR W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co..  ..Centralia,  111. 

ROHMBERG,  HAROLD Sabine  Lumber  Company.  .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

REYBURN,  F.  T Sabine  Lumber  Company.  .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

RICHARDSON,  G.  M Industrial  Lumber  Co Wichita,  Kan. 

REMAKLUS,  C.  A Richton  Lumber  Company.  .  .Richton    Miss. 

RICHARDSON,  J.  F Architect     Ottawa,  111. 

RICHART,  C.  E Arkansas  Land  &  Lbr.   Co.  Bloomington,    111. 

RISON,  R.  E Crossett   Lumber    Company  Oklahoma  City,  Ok. 

ROGERS,  JAS.   N Eastman,  Gardiner  &  Co.. .  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

ROBINSON,  T.  E Western  Lumber  Company.  .Columbus,  Ohio 

ROOPE,  FRANK  L Great   Southern  Lbr.   Co...  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

ROGERS.  H.  N Eastman,  Gardiner  &  Co.. .  Laurel,  Miss. 

ROOF,  E.  A Gates   Lumber   Company.  . .  Hutchinson,  Kan. 

RHODES,  J.   E Southern  Pine  Association.  New   Orleans,  La. 

REYNOLDS,  J.  W Big  Pine  Lumber  Co Houston,  Texas 

ROBINSON,  S.  A Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co..  .St.  Louis.  Mo. 

SEIDEL,  JULIUS Julius  Seidel  Lumber  Co...  St.  Louis.  Mo. 

SWAIN,  S.  G Swain  Lumber  Company.  . .  Aliceville,  Ala. 

SMITH,  J.  W Kirby    Lumber    Company. .  Austin,  Texas 

SIMPSON.  WM.  M Long-Bell    Lumber    Co -M?ha,  Neb. 

SMITH,  B.  H.  JR Long-Bell    Lumber    Co ongville,  La. 

SMITH,  J.  H Long-Bell    Lumber    Co "  ire  Bluff,  Ark. 

SPENCER,  JOHN  A Long-Bell    Lumber    Co Chicago,  111. 

SMITH,   GEO.  K George  K.  Smith St.  Louis,  Mo. 

SCHOFIELD,  L.  R Long-Bell   Lumber   Co. . . . ,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

SCHIERMAN,  W.  G Gulf  Lumber  Company Ottumwia,  Iowa 

.  SHORT,  SCOTT Frost-Johnson   Lumber  Co.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

SCHNIEDERS,  J.  F Frost-Jdhnson   Lumber  Co.Tulsa,  Okla. 

SPENGLER,  H.  C Frost- Joihn  son   Lumber   Co.  Cedar  Rapids,  la. 

STEVENS.  H.  G Frost  Jdhnson    Lumber   Co.  Decatur,  111. 

STORM,  BERT Consolidated  Saw  Mills  Co..  Ft.  Towson,  Okla. 

SWARTZ,  J.   E W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co..  .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

SHOFFMASTER,  C.  E Shoffmaster  &  Urban ->>edo,  Ohio 

SMITH,   O.   N Industrial    Lumber    Co Wichita,  Kan. 

SACKETT,  H.  S National  Lbr.  Mfg.  Assn..     ^icagio,  111. 

STRUBE,  H.  A Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co..  .  Dallas,  Texas 

SAMPLE,  J.  G Xirby  Lumber  Company.  . .  .  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

SMITHJ  J.  W Wausau  Southern  Lbr.  Co.  "hicaro.  111. 

STICKLE,  A.  W Clark  &  Boice  Lumber  Co.  Oallas,  Texas 

STRUBE,  E.  F Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co..  .  "t.  Worth,  Tex. 


SELLINGLUMBER  401 


SNELL,  .FRANK  N La.   Red  Cypress  Co ew  Orleans,  La. 

SNELL,  H.  H Lathrop  Lumber  Company.  Birmingham,  Ala. 

SMITH,  P.  L Lathrop  Lumber  Company.  Birmingham,  Ala. 

STONE,  W.  P La.  Red  Cypress   Co Louisville,  Ky. 

SHOOP,  WALTER  C iFinkbine  Lumber  Company  Decatur,  111. 

STEELE,  W.  C iFinkbine  Lumber  Company  Decatur,  IJ1. 

SNIDER,  W.  E Natalbany  Lumber   Co Rock  Island,  111. 

SEYMOUR,  F.  C Gates  Lumber  Company. . .  .  Wilmar,  Ark. 

SMITH,  T.  L Natalbany   Lumber   Co Hammond,  La. 

SMITH,  E.  S Crossett    Lumber    Company. Peoria,    111. 

SMITH,  C.  H Oniel-Wites  Lumber  Co. . .  Webster  Grove,  Mo. 

SKEEN,  S.  P A.   P.   Conklin  Lumber  Co.  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

STEVENS,  'C.  A.  A Brooks-Scanlon  Company. .  .Memphis,   Tenn. 

SHAW,  ST.  CLAIR Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co..  .  Cleveland,  Ohio 

STERLING,  E.  A National  Lbr.  Mfg.  Assn. .  Chicago,  111. 

SMITH  BROS.  & 

COMPANY  Crossett    Lumber    Company  Peoria,  111. 

SCHMOLHANS,  K.  B Gates    Lumber    Company.  ..Davenport,  la. 

SMITH,  C.  P Industrial    Lumber    Co Wichita,  Kan. 

SPENCER,   B.   F T.   H.   Garrett  Lumber   Co.  St.   Louis,  Mo. 

STEWART,  ALPHEUS American   Lumberman St.   Louis,  Mo. 

SATTERWHITE,  F.  A Gideon- Anderson  Lbr.  Co..  St.   Louis,  Mo. 

STORMS,  A.  D Southern  Pine  Lumber  Co.  Ft.  Madison,  la. 

SCENOGLE,  W.  H Long-Bell  Lumber  Co ew  York,  N.  Y. 

TROY,  ED Gulf  Lumber  Company. . .  .  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

THORNTON,  C.  W .Long-Bell   Lumber   Co Kansas  City,  Mo. 

TOURTELLOT,  DALLAS Gulf  Coast  Lumberman. . . .  Houston,  Texas 

THRASHER,  W.  J W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co...  Waco,  Tex. 

TULLY,   L.   M La.  Red  Cypress  Co St.  Louis,  Mo. 

TOBIN,  PAUL  H Southern  Lumber  Company  Jttumwa,  la. 

THOMAS,  P.  H Finkbine  Lumber  Company  Wiggins,  Miss. 

TARRANT,  W.  P Stenographer   :t.  Louis,  Mo. 

THOMPSON,  C.  F Mississippi  Lumber  Co Chicago,   111. 

THOMAS,  K.  F A.   P.   Conklin  Lumber   Co.  ""olumbus,  Ohio 

TENNANT,  E.  D Order    of    Hoo-Hoo St.-iouis,  Mo. 

TREADWAY,  R.  L Kirby    Lumber    Company.  ..Houston,  Texas 

TEMPLE,  C.  N Southern   Pine  Lumber  Co.  D'al'as,  Texas 

TREISCHMANN,    A Crossett   Lumber    Company.  C>ossett,  Ark. 

THOMPSON,  J.  LEWIS Thompson  Bros.  Lbr.  Co Houston,  Texas 

VON  SCHRENK,  DR. 

HERMANN,  Southern  Pine  Association.  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

VON  SCHRENK,  ARNOLD.  .  .Von  Schrenk  &  Kammerer.  .St.  Louis,  Mo. 

VOSMEYER,  W.  C ,W.  T.  Ferguson  Lbr.  Co Louisville,  Ky. 

VANLANDINGHAM,  W.  B.Jordan  River  Lumber  Co..  Chicago,  111. 
VAN  CLEAVE,  B.  L Van   Cleave   Saw   Mill   Co.  St.   Louis,  Mo. 

WILSON,  GEO.   W....  Chicago  Lumber  &  Coal  Co. 

of   Washington St.  Joseph,  Mo. 

WHITSETT,  G.   D Kirby  Lumber  Company...  Vnarillo,  Texas 

WHEELER,  J.  M Kirby  Lumber  Company. ..  Oklahoma  City,  Ok. 

WEISS,  RAY Kirby  Lumber  Company.  . .  Chicago,  111. 

WHEELER,  R.  A -Kirby  Lumber  Company. ..  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

WILLIS,  E.  E Long'-Bell  Lumber  Co Mt.  Vernon,  111. 

WEBSTER,  H.  E Long-Bell  Lumber  Co Wichita,  Kan. 

WAGGONER,  N.  C Gulf  Lumber  Company East  St.  Louis,  111. 

WILLHITE,  H.  M Gulf  Lumber  Company Bast  St.  Louis,  111. 

WAGON,  H.  W Frost-Johnson   Lumber   Co.    f.  Louis,  Mo. 

WALLACE,  W.  W Trinity  County  Lbr.  Co..  . .  Groveton.  Texas 

WELLS,  J.  G Frost-Johnson  Lumber   Co.  Aurora,  111. 

WYLIE,  D.  M Frost-Johnson   Lumber   Co.  Galesburg,  111. 

WOODHEAD,  BEN  S Beaumont   Lumber   Co Beaumont,  Tex. 


402  SELLINGLUMBER 


WHERRIT,  F.  D Sabine  Lumber  Company. .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

WADDLE,  H.  A W.  T.  Ferguson  Lumber  Co.. Springfield,  111. 

WATTS,  J.  E Southern  Lumber  Company  Mason  City,  la. 

WILDER,   E.  J Finkbine  Lumber   Company  D'Lo,  Miss. 

WIKON,  J.  W Mississippi  Lumber  Co Quitman,  Miss. 

W  ATKINS,  FRANK  R Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co..  ..Kansas  City,  Mo. 

WESSON,  J.  H Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co...  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

WIENER,  ELI Angelina  County  Lbr.  Co. .  Keltys,  Texas 

WALKER,  H.  W Southern  Pine  Lumber  Co.  Dallas,  Texas 

WHITMORE,   F.    E Mississippi  Lumber  Co Chicago,  111. 

WHITEHEAD,  GEO,  C Crossett  Lumber    Company.  Wheeling,  W.  Va. 

WEISS,  HOWARD  F .Forest  Products  Laboratory. Madison,  Wis. 

WELLINGHAM,  S.  M Organ  Lumber   Company. .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

WHITE,  Jos Mo.  Lbr.  &  Land  Exc.  Co. . .  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

WILLIAMSON,  E.  H Great  Southern  Lumber  Co..  Peoria,  111. 

WHALEN,  M.  A Paytpn  Lbr.  &  Supply  Co. .  . 

WHITE,  C.  A.  JR Darlington  Lumber  Co St.  Louis,   Mo. 

WILSON,  H.  L S.  H.  Bolinger  &  Co.. Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

YARDLEY,  W.  J Sabine  Lumber  Company. .  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

ZELNICKER,  W.  A....  Walter  A.  Zelnicker  Supply 

Company St.  Louis,  Mo. 


SELLINGLUMBER  403 

Attendance  at  S.   O.  S.  Convention 
CLASSIFIED  as  to  FIRMS  REPRESENTED 

ANGELINA  COUNTY  LBR.  Co.,  Keltys,  Texas. 

Eli  Reiner,  Keltys,  Texas. 
ANTRIM  LUMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

A.  H.  Beardsley,  St.  Louis,  Mo.    « 
ARKANSAS  LUMBER  Co.,  Warren,  Ark. 

J.  E.  Newman,  Warren,  Ark. 

C.  J.  Mansfield,  Warren,  Ark. 

J.  W.  Embree,  Chicago,  111. 
ARKANSAS  LAND  &  LUMBER  Co.,  Malvern,  Ark. 

A.  E.  Lament,  Malvern,  Ark. 
C.  E.  Richart,  Bloomington,  111. 

BAGDAD  LAND  &  LUMBER  Co.,  Bagdad,  Fla. 

C.  R.  Burgoyne,  Pensacola,  Fla. 

M.  M.  Glasgow,  Bagdad,  Fla. 
S.  H.  BoLLiNGEiR  &  Co.,  Slhrevcport,  La. 

J.  Donner,  Shreveport,  La. 

H.  L.  Wilson,  Shreveport,  La. 
BROOKS,  SCANLON  &  Co.,  Kentwood,  La. 

C.  H.  Stevens,  Memphis,  Tenn. 

V.  P.  Landon,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

M.  J.  Logan,  Kentwood,  La. 
BIG  PINE  LUMBER  Co.,  Colfax,  La. 

J.  W.  Reynolds,  Houston,  Texas. 
WM.  BUCHANAN,  Texarkana,  Ark. 

Chas.  E.  Price,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
BURTON  SWARTZ  CYP.  Co.  OF  FLA.,  Perry,  Fla. 

J.  A.  Milliard,  Perry,  Fla. 
BAY  BROS.  LBR.  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

M.  C.  Bay,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
BERTHOLD-JENNINGS  LBR.  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

C.  P.  Jennings,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
BEAUMONT  LUMBER  Co.,  Beaumont,  Texas. 

Ben  S.  Woodihead,  Beaumont,  Texas. 
A.  P.  CONKLIN  LBR.  Co.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

K.  F.  Thomas,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

S.  P.  Skeen,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
CHICAGO  LBR.  &  COAL  Co.  OF  WASHINGTON,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Thos.  W.  Sanford,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

N.  L.  McKee,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Geo.  W.  Wilson,  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
CONSOLIDATED  SAW  MILLS  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Geo.  G.  Clements,  Maren go,  Iowa. 

F.  A.  Meyers,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

B.  H.  Miller,  Oklahoma  City,  Okla. 
R.  O.  Jackson,  Dallas,  Texas. 

S.  A.  Robinson,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
J.  F.  Herd,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
J.  A.  Meyer,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Bert  Storm,  Ft.  Towson,  Okla. 
W.  Elmo  Colin,  Tudsa,  Okla. 
CENTRAL  COAL  &  COKE  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Chas.  S.  Keith,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
R.  G.  Affleck,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
H.  B.  Nicol,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Ransom  Griffin,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 


404  SELLINGLUMBER 


J.  H.  Wesson,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

W.  M.  Barry,  Galesburg,  111. 

Jas.  H.  Lang,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
CROSSETT  LUMBER  COMPANY,  Crossett,  Ark. 

C.  B.  Isbell,  Elkhart,  Ind. 

Smith  Bros.  &  Co.,  Peoria,  111. 

A.  Treischmann,  Crossett,  Ark. 

E.  R.  Hilton,  Huron,  Ohio. 

Geo.  C.  Whitehead,  Wheeling,  West  Va. 

Wilber  Marlin,  Beatrice,  Nebr. 

Marvin  Nichols,  Muncie,  Ind. 

R.  E.  Rison,  Oklahoma  City,  Okla. 

Leo  P.  Miller,  Danville,  111. 

E.  S.  Smith,  Peoria,  111. 
CENTRAL  LUMBER  Co.,  Brookihaven,  Miss. 

M.  J.  Hale,  Brookhaven,  Miss. 
CARTER-KELLY  LUMBER  Co.,  Manning,  Texas. 

Herbert  Moss,  Manning,  Texas. 
W.  M.  CADY  LUMBER  Co.,  McNary,  La. 

G.  L.  Isbell,  McNary,  La. 
CORDIA  TIMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

L.  B.  Goddard,  Pharlock,  Mo. 
CALIFORNIA  SUGAR  &  WHITE  PINE  Co.,  San  Francisco,  Calif. 

Davitf  H.  Cale,  Wichita,  Kansas. 
CLARK  &  BOICE  LBR.  Co.,  Dallas,  Texas. 

A.  W.  Stickle,  Dallas,  Texas. 
W.  W.  CARRE  LUMBER  Co.,  New  Orleans,  La. 

Tudor  B.  Carre,  New  Orleans,  La. 
DIBERT,  STARK  &  BROWN  CYP.  Co.,  Donner,  La. 

E.  L.  Heitert,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

O.  E.  Gearheard,  Donner,  La. 
DICKINSON  LUMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

George  I.  Dickinson,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
DIONNE  LUMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Otto  T.  Pfeffer,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
DARLINGTON  LBR.  &  C.  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Chas.  A.  White,  Jr.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
DIERKS  LUMBER  &  COAL  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

H.  L.  Dierks,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
EASTMAN-GARDINER  &  Co.,  Laurel,  Miss. 

Jas.  H.  Heyl,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

J.  H.  Estes,  Nashville,  Tenn. 

P.  M.  Lanehart,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

H.  N.  Rogers,  Laurel,  Miss. 

Jas.  N.  Rogers,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

C.  B.  McVey,  Washington,  111. 

Charles  Green,  Laurel,  Miss. 
ERIE  LUMBER  COMPANY,  Erie,  Pa. 

H.  G.  Irwin,  Erie,  Pa. 
E.  B.  ECKHARD,  Carbondale,  111. 

E.  B.  Eckhard,  Carbond'aile,  111. 
W.  T.  FERGUSON  LBR.  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo 

Fred  S.  Robertson,  Centralia,  111. 

J.  B.  Allen,  Centralia,  111. 

Thos.  Hanford,  Chicago,  111. 

W.  C.  Vossmeyer,  Louisville,  Ky. 

H.  A.  Waddell,  Springfield,  Ohio. 

L.  D.  Reichart,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

W.  J.  Thrasher,  Waco,  Texas. 

R.  B.  Peck,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

J.  E.  Swarz,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

O.  E.  Crawford,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 


SELLING     LUMBER  405 


FINKBINE  LUMBER  Co..  Wiggins,  Miss. 

E.  J.  Wilder,  D'Lo,  Miss. 

Walter  C.  Shoop,  Decatur,  111. 

W.  C.  Steele,  Decatur,  111. 

T.  H.  Thomas,  Wiggins,  Miss. 

H.  I.  Isbell,  Elkhart,  Ind. 
FORDYCE  LUMBER  Co.,  Fordyce,  Ark. 

H.  L.  Foster,  Fordyce,  Ark. 

Fred  J.  Bowers,  Mansfield,  Ohio. 
FARGUHOR,  J.  S.  N.,  LBR.  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

J.  S.  N.  Farguhor,  Frederickstown,  Mo. 
FROST- JOHNSON  LUMBER  Co.,  St~  Louis,  Mo. 

R.  B.  Bearden,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

W.  A.  Redie,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

W.  B.  Dripps,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

C.  M.  Hangar,  Morocco,  Ind. 
H.  G.  Bucknell,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
H.  G.  Stevens,  Decatur,  111. 

D.  M.  Wylie,  Galesburg,  111. 

H.  C.  Spengler,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 

V.  E.  Bliss,  Des  Moines,  la. 

C.  D.  Johnson,  Jr.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

J.  G.  Wells,  Aurora,  111. 

J.  F.  Schneiders,  Tulsa,  Okla. 

J.  F.  Farmer,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas. 

T.  F.  Brashear,  Hearne,  Texas. 

C.  F.  Condit,  Detroit,  Mich. 

J.  D.  Batcheler,  Shreveport,  La. 

H.  W.  Wogan,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

A.  J.  Molt,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Scott  Short,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

J.  B.  Ohipman,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

E.  A.  Frost,  Shreveport,  La. 
C.  D.  Johnson,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

FORT  SMITH  LUMBER  Co.,  Plainview,  Ark. 

R.  J.  Oliver,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
GULF  LUMBER  COMPANY,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

W.  L.  Henry,  Springfield,  111. 

C.  E.  Lemons,  Aurora,  111. 

W.  G.  Scherman,  Ottumwa,  Iowa. 

W.  T.  Hicks,  Detroit,  Mich. 

H.  M.  Willihite,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

H.  E.  Linneman,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

H.  F.  Humes,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

A.  M.  Houston,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
J.  E.  Cool,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Wm.  Hess,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

L.  J.  Boykin,  Houston,  Texas. 

Hoyt  James,  Houston,  Texas. 

R.  O.  Crozier,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas. 

Ed.  Troy,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
GREAT  SOUTHERN  LUMBER  Co.,  Bogalusa,  La. 

Geo.  A.  Poteet,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

C.  G.  Atkinson,  Indianapolis,  Ind, 

Frank  L.  Roope,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Henry  W.  Haynes,  Memphis,  Tenn. 

E.  H.  Williamson,  Peoria,  111. 
T.  H.  GARRETT  LUMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

B.  F.  Spencer,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
T.  H.  Garrett,  Jr.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
R.  C.  Bridges,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


406  SELLING     LUMBER 


GATES  LUMBER  Co.,  Wilmar,  Ark. 

K.  B.  Schmolhaus,  Davenport,  Iowa. 

G.  W.  Foster,  Wilmar,  Ark. 
E.  M.  DOLLARHIDE,  Chicago,  I1H. 

E.  A.  Roof,  Hutchinson,  Kas. 

F.  C.  Seymour,  Wilmar,  Ark. 
GRAYSON-McLEOD  LBR.  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

E.  F.  Elder,   Wichita,   Kas. 
GERMAIN  COMPANY,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Adair  Lockman,  Chicago,  111: 
GOODYEAR  LUMBER  Co.,  Bogalusa,  La. 

Jack  E.  Brantley,  Chicago,  111. 
GIDEOW-ANDERSON  LBR.  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

F.  A.  Sattervvihite,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
GANAHL  LUMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Fred  A.  Gerber,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
GILCHRIST-FORDNEY  Co.,  Laurel,  Miss. 

C.  A.  Barksdale,  Laurel,  Miss. 
HOMQCHITTO  LUMBER  Co.,  Bude,  Miss. 

E.  J.  Hurst,  Bude,  Miss. 

L.  C.  Lingham,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

R.  O.  Hunter,  Springfield,  111. 
HALL  &  LEGAN  LBR.  Co.,  Morton,  Miss. 

C.  K.  McClure,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

H.  J.  Bowman,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

John  Christy,  Alton,  El. 

C.  A.  Bowman,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
HUIE-HODGE  LUMBER  Co.,  Hodge,  La. 

J.  T.  Holloway,  Hodge,  La. 

O.  E.  Hodge,  Hodge  La. 
HANLY  CYPRESS  Co.  F.  G.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

0.  E.  Baldwin,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

HARWOOD,  W.  A.,  LBR.  &  COAL  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

T.  F.  Harwood,  Bloomington,  111. 
HINTON  BROS.  LBR.  Co.,  Lumberton,  Miss. 

W.  P.  Haynes,  Lumberton,  Miss. 
HILL-BEHAN  LUMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

A.  F.  McCoole,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
INDUSTRIAL  LUMBER  Co.,  Elizabeth,  La. 

G.  M.  Richardson,  Wichita,  Kansas. 

1.  A.  Lovitt,  Temple,  Texas. 
O.  N.  Smith,  Wichita,  Kas. 
Edw.  E.  Krauss,  Elizabeth,  La. 
W.  M.  Estes,  Temple,  Texas. 
C.  P.  Smith,  Wichita,  Kas. 

R.  M.  Hallowell,  ElMbeth,  La. 
ISBELL,  H.  I.  Co.,  Elkhart,  Ind. 

E.  E.  Isbell,  Elkhart,  Ind. 

E.  C.  Godfrey,  Elkhart,  Ind. 
INTERNATIONAL  CRESO.  &  CONSTR.  Co.,  Galveston,  Texas. 

J.  D.  Latimer,  Gailveston,  Texas. 

E.  E.  Boehne.  Galveston,  Texas. 
JORDAN  RIVER  LUMBER  Co.,  Kiln,  Miss. 

W.  B.  Vanlandingham,  Chicago,  111. 
KIRBY  LUMBER  Co.,  Houston,  Texas. 
J.  G.  Sample,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

B.  F.  Bonner,  Houston,  Texas. 
W.  E.  Farnan,  Houston,  Texas. 
Harry  T.  Kendall.  Houston,  Texas. 

F.  J.  Lennox,  Waco,  Texas. 

A.  W.  Pearsall,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas. 
J.  H.  Miller,  Dallas,  Texas. 


SELLINGLUMBER  407 


J.  W.  Smith,  Austin,  Texas. 

R.  E.  Cahill,  San  Antonio,  Texas. 

C.  J.  Jennings,  Alice,  Texas. 

G.  D.  Whitsett,  Amarillo,  Texas. 

E.  L.  Barrow,  El  Paso,  Texas. 

J.  M.  Wheeler,  Oklahoma  City,  Okfla. 

V.  M.  Lacy,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

J.  H.  Hatcher,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

R.  P.  DuPage,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

'W.  F.  Denman,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

H.  T.  Igon,  Hutchinson,  Kas. 

O.  S.  Riedel,  Salina,  Kas. 

Ray  Weiss,  Chicago,  111. 

G.  N.  Austin,  Chicago,  111. 

J.  A.  Kendall,  Peoria,  111. 

E.  H.  Mauk,  Toledo,  Ohio 

C.  D.  Crane,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

R.  A.  Wheeler,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

R.  E.  Browne,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Thos.  Gray,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

R.  O.  Paries,  Houston,  Texas. 

R.  L.  Treadway,  Houston,  Texas. 

J.  T.  McCarthy,  Houston,  Texas. 
KEITH  LUMBER  Co.,  Voth,  Texas. 

W.  J.  Buhman,  Voth,  Texas. 
KAUL  LUMBER  COMPANY,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

J.  H.  Eddy,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

W.  C.  Fellows,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

W.  A.  Morton,   Birmingham,  Ala. 

G.  P.  McCracken,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

C.  H.  Moreland,  Birmingham,  Ala. 
J.  A.  Brookes,  Birmingham,  Ala. 
Jno.  L.  Kaul,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

LONG-BELL  LBR.  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

D.  H.  Conner,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas. 
A.  B.  Connor,  San  Antonio,  Texas. 
H.  M.  Hayward,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

C.  C.  Mullen,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
R.  E.  McKee,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

L.  I.  Parminter,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

A.  F.  Arnold,  Amarillo,  Texas. 

Will  C.  Dix,  Memphis,  Tenn. 

Chas.  S.  Ash,  Topeka,  Kas. 

W.  S.  Robinson,  Abingdon,  111. 

Jules  T.  Borresen,  Pine  Bluff,  Ark. 

S.  E.  Barwick,   Chicago,  111 

W.  M.  Beebe,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

H.  E.  Webster,  Wichita,  Kas. 

L.  R.  Schofield,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

R.  L.  Moore,  Houston,  Texas. 

H.  C.  Eaton,  Waco,  Texas. 

Fred  C.  Kuehnle,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

D.  R.  Meredith,  Toledo,  Ohio. 

E.  E.  Willis,  Mt.  Vernon,  111. 
Chas.  W.  Green,  Toledo,  Ohio. 
A.  C.  Long,  Jr.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Jno.  A.   Spencer,  Chicago,  111. 

J.  H.  Smith,  Pine  Bluff,  Ark. 
Geo.  M.  Jones,  Wheeling,  West  Va. 
M.  B.  Nelson,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Willis  Honnes,  Oklahoma  City,  OkJla. 
Jno.  E).  Moses,  Oskaloosa,  Iowa. 


408  SELLINGLUMBER 


Wm.  M.  Simpson,  Omaha,  Neb. 
C.  L.  Knowles,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
C.  W.  Thornton,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
J.  H.  Lane,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Geo.  Houston,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Harry  D.  Jones,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Fred  Berger,  Kalamazoo,  Mich. 
H.  Virgil  Richards,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

C.  J.  Laughlin,  Lake  Charles,  La. 
W.  H.  Icenogle,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
B.  H.  Smith,  Jr.,  Longville,  La. 

D.  R.  Bodwell,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
R.  E.  Hill,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

H.  F.  McFarland,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
LOTHMAN  CYPRESS  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Wm.  Lothman,  Jr.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

A.  J.  GLllespie,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
LATHROP  LUMBER  Co.,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

H.  H.  Snell,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

P.  L.  Smith,  Birmingham,  Ala. 
LOUISIANA  RED  CYPRESS  Co.,  New  Orleans,  La. 

(Frank  N.  Snell,  New  Orleans,  La. 

L.  M.  Tully,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

J.  D.  Farley,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Hubert  Gregg,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

H.  A.  Hoover,  Ashley,  111. 

J.  A.  McClanahan,  Peoria,  111. 

W.  P.  Stone,  Louisville,  Ky. 

Albert  S.  Porter,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

H.  P.  Altman,  Chicago,  111. 

C.  A.  Pratt,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

H.  H.  Hoyt,  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
LUMBER  MINERAL  Co.,  Arbo,  Miss. 

R.  M.  Cust,  Arbo,  Miss. 
LOUISIANA  SAW  MILL  Co. 

J.  E.  Crawford,  Lake  Charles,  La. 
LAWRENCE  LUMBER  Co.,  P.  J.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

P.  J.  Lawrence,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
MISSOURI  LAND  &  LUMBER  EXCH.  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

N.  T.  Parker,  Lincoln,  Neb. 

H.  A.  Strube,  Dallas,  Texas. 

Bert  E.  Cook,  Chicago,  111. 

H.  E.  McGili;  Chicago,  111. 

R.  S.  Price,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Mark  Anson,  Muscatine,   Iowa. 

E.  F.  Strube,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas. 

R.  H.  Mead,  Erie,  Pa. 

0.  A.  Mason,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

R.  K.  Eaton,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
C.  L.  Chaffee,  Norfolk,  Neb. 
H.  M.  Barns,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
St.  Clair  Shaw,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

E.  H.  McGili,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
L.  J.  Marshal/1,  Chanute,  Kas. 

1.  A.  Martin,  Terre  Haute,  Ind. 
Geo.  W.  Dulaney,  Lafayette,  Ind. 
Alex.  Hamilton,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

F.  O.  Rugg,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
J.  B.  White,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
J.  E.  Diamond,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Frank  R.  Watkins,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
H.  J.  Degenhart,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


SELLING     LUMBER  409 


McMillan  Carson,  Aurora.  111. 
MARATHON  LUMBER  Co.,  Laurel,  Miss. 

M.  H.  Bissell,  Laurel,  Miss. 
.H.  C.  Miller,  Columbus,  Ohio. 
MISSISSIPPI  LUMBER  COMPANY,  Quitman,  Miss. 

J.  W.  Wilson,  Quitman,  Miss. 

C.  F.  Thompson,  Chicago,  111 

F.  E.  Whitehead,  Chicago,  111. 
MILLS  &  ARNOLD,  Kirksville,  Mo. 

Horace  Mills,  Kirksville,  Mo. 

S.  W.  Arnold,  Kirksville,  Mo. 
MAUK,  C.  A.,  LBR.  Co..  Toledo,  Ohio. 

W.  H.  Prentiss,  Toledo,  Ohio. 
McKEE  LBR.  Co.,  W.  I.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

A.  E.  Cummings,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
M.  E.  MAC  RUDER  &  Co.,  Peoria,  111. 

Walker  Nugent,  Peoria,  111. 
MCDONNELL,  W.,  &  SONS,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Sumner  McDonnell,  Chicago,  111. 
NEWMAN,  J.  J.,  LUMBER  Co.,  Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

Jno.  R.  Cooper,  Paducah,  Ky. 

Will  H.  Bultman,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

E.  B.  Lemmons,  Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

A.  J.  Carroll,  Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

J.  H.  Kennedy,  Hattiesburg,  Miss. 

Walter  J.  Noone,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

J.  G.  Gibbons,  Scranton,  Miss 

E.  G.  Koza,  Quincy,  111. 

W.  H.   Elbring,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
NATIONAL  LUMBER  MFRS.  ASSN.,  Chicago,  111. 

H.  S.  Sackett,  Chicago,  111. 

W.  H.  Bell,  Chicago,  111. 
NATALBANY  LUMBER  Co.,  Hammond,  La. 

T.  L.  Smith,  Hammond,  La. 

F.  S.  Council,  Jackson,  Miss. 
Perry  H.  Graves,  Springfield,  111. 
W.  J.  Snider,  Rockland,  111. 

T.  H.  NELS&N  LUMBER  Co.,  Indianapoflis,  Ind. 

T.  H.  Nelson,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
O'NiEL- WILES  LBR.  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Bert  Brinkman,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

C.  H.  Smith,  Webster  Grove,  Mo. 
OZAN-GRAYSONIA  LBR.  Co.,  Prescott,  Ark. 

A.  G.  Mucke,  St.  Louis,  M,o. 
E.  Grayspn,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

D.  M.  Dillingham,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
ORDER  OF  Hoo- Hoe's,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

E.  D.  Fernand,  Secy-Treas. 

OREGON  LUMBER  Co.,  Seattle,  Washington, 

N.  H.  Huey,  Chicago,  111. 
PICKERING,  W.  R.,  LUMBER  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

E.  G.  Bower,  Dallas,  Texas. 

C.  W.  Myers,  Detroit,  Mich. 

Harvey  Montgomery,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

W.  B.  Medes,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

J.  H.  Austin,  Jr.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

W.  L.  Godley,  Wichita,  Kas. 

Chas.  A.  Evans,  Waco,  Texas. 
PAYTON  LUMBER  &  SUPPLY  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Wm.  Dixon,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

M.  A.  WThalen. 


410  SELLINGLUMBER 


PENNINGTON-FOSTER  Co.,  Houston,  Texas. 
PEAVY-BYRNES,  Shreveport,  La. 

F.  H.  Campbell,  Shreveport,  La. 
PINE  BELT  LUMBER  Co.,  Pinebelt,  Ala. 

T.  W.  Reeves,  Pinebelt,  Ala. 
RICHTON  LUMBER  Co.,  Springfield,  111. 

P.  Paddock,  Springfiefld,  111. 

C.  A.  Remaklus,  Riahton,  Miss. 
SOUTHERN  LUMBER  Co.,  Warren,  Ark. 

C.  C.  Beard,  Chicago,  111. 

L.  S.  Case,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

J.  E.  Finch,  Warren,  Ark. 

E.  D.  Ferguson,  Blytheville,  Ark. 

C.  H.  Houck,  Warren,  Ark. 

H.  B.  Houck,  Poplar  Bluff,  N.  C. 

D.  H.  Bartlett,  Sioux  City,  Iowa. 
Geo.  Friend,  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
O.  L.  Hedlund,  Sioux  City,  Iowa. 
Louis  E.  Muhl,  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa. 

G.  W.  Ainsworth,  Marsihalltown,  Iowa. 
Paul  H.  Tobias,  Ottumwa,  Iowa. 

J.  E.  Watts,  Mason  City,  Iowa. 

E.  G.  Hunter,  Dubuque,  Iowa. 
N.  H.  Parsons,  Rockford,  111. 

SABINE  LUMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
W.  J.  Carrington,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

F.  T.  Reyburn,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
F.  E.  Allison. 

C.  S.  Franke,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Geo.  Costlen,  St.  Louis,  Mp. 
Harold  Rahnberg,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
J.  W.  Ferguson,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
W.  J.  Yardley,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

C.  E.  Martin,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 
J.  L.  Porter,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

F.  D.  Wiherrit,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Jas.  P.  Gray,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
A.  A.  Dunn,  Houston,  Texas.  ^ 
Neal  Davidson,  St.  Louis,  Mo." 
E.  M.  McClelland,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

D.  S.  Carroll,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
SOUTHERN  PINE  LUMBER  Co.,  Texarkana,  Tex. 

J.  S.  Partridge,  Wichita,  Kas. 

H.  W.  Walker,  Dallas.  Texas. 

C.  N.  Temple,  Dallas,  Texas. 

A.  F.  McCoole,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

W.  L.  Behan,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

A.  M.  Hill,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

R.  W.  Irvine,  Centralia,  111. 

J.  E.  Hintz,  Texarkana,  Texas. 

A.  D.  Storms,  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa. 
ST.  TAMMANY  LUMBER  MFG.  Co.,  New  Orleans,  La. 

A.  J.  Krauss,  New  Orleans,  La. 

L.  B.  Anderson,  Memphis,  Tenn. 

L.  J.  O'Brien,  Bloomington,  HI. 

I.  I.  Dilling,  Thornton,  Ark. 
SHOFFMASTER  &  URBAN,  Toledo,  Ohio. 

P.  E.  Shoffmaster,  Toledo,  Ohio. 
GEO.  K.  SMITH,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Geo.  K.  Smith,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
SEIDEL.  JULIUS,  LUMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Julius  Seidel,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


SELLING     LUMBER  411 


ST.  Louis  LUMBER  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

John  K.  Relieis,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
SWAIN  LUMBKR  Co.,  Aliceville,  Ala. 

S.  G.  Swam,  Aliceville,  Ala. 
SOUTH  TEXAS  LBR.  Co.,  Houston,  Texas. 

Tihos.  W.  Blake,  Houston,  Texas. 
SEATTLE  CEDAR  LBR.  MFG.  Co.,  Seattle,  Washington. 

L.  B.  Hudd'leston,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
SHIP  ISLAND  LUMBER  Co.,  Sanford,  Miss. 

P.  H.  Bostwick,  Sanford,  Miss. 
TREMONT  LUMBER  COMPANY,  Winnfield,  La. 

J.  H.  Geagan,  Winnfield,  La. 

H.  G.  Hilzheim,  Jackson,  Miss. 

L.  G.  King,  Winnfield,  La. 

Allen  Parker,  Winnfield,  La. 

R.  C.  Clark,  Chicago,  111. 

Geo.  S.  Clark,  Winnfield,  La. 
THOMPSON  BROS.  LBR.  Co.,  Trinity,  Texas. 

J.  Lewis  Thompson,  Houston,  Texas.          z 
TRINITY  COUNTY  LBR.  Co.,  Groveton,  Texas. 

W.  W.  Warren,  Groveton,  Texas. 
VAN  CLEVE  SAW  MILL  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

B.  L.  Van  Cleve,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

J.  F.  Oldham,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
VREDENBURGH  SAW  MILL  Co.,  Vredenburgh,  Ala. 

W.  N.  Baird,  Vredenburgh,  Ala. 
WAUSAU  SOUTHERN  LBR.  Co.,  Laurel,  Miss. 

S.  B.  Bissell,  Laurel,  Miss. 

Hugh  S.  McLaughlin,  Jackson,  Tenn. 

Otto  Herwig,  Peoria,  111. 

J.  W.  Smith,  Chicago,  111. 

E.  Darling,  Elkhart,  Ind. 

A.  J.  Glassow,  Laurel,  Miss. 

H.  W.  Barker,  Waterloo,  Iowa. 
WEYEHAEUSER  SALES  Co.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

J.  W.  Gronen,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 
WESTERN  LUMBER  Co.,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

T.  E.  Robinson,  Columbus,  Ohio. 
WISCONSIN  &  ARKANSAS  LBR.  Co.,  Malvern,  Ark. 

F.  H.  McCormack,  Malvern,  Ark. 
ZELNICKER,  WALTER  A.,  SUPPLY  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Walter  A.  Zelnicker,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


412  SELLINGLUMBER 

Grading  Rules  for  Southern  Yellow 
Pint  Lumber 

(Copyright  1916,  by  the  Southern  Pine  Association) 

Southern  Yellow  Pine  lumber  and  products,  including  tim- 
bers, lath,  shingles,  box  shocks,  paving  blocks,  etc.,  are  pro- 
duced in  unlimited  quantities  by  the  manufacturers  who  are 
subscribers  to  the  Southern,  Pine  Association,  whose  mills  are 
located  in  the  States  of  Texas,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  Louisiana, 
Mississippi,  Alabama,  Georgia  and  Florida. 

Fully  95  per  cent  of  the  output  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine 
lumber  in  the  states  named  is  graded  and  classified  according 
to  the  Standard  Specifications  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association 
as  printed  herein.  Quotations  of  prices  are  usually  made  upon 
the  basis  of  these  Grading  Rules,  which  in  all  essential  features 
have  been  recognized  by  the  lumber  trade  for  many  years. 

GENERAL  INSTRUCTIONS. 

SOUTHERN  YELLOW  PINE  LUMBER  shall  be  grad- 
ed and  classified  according  to  the  following  rules  and  specifi- 
cations as  to  quality,  and  dressed  stock  shall  conform  to  the 
subjoined  table  of  standard  sizes—  EXCEPT  WHERE  OTHER- 
WISE EXPRESSLY  STIPULATED  BETWEEN  BUYER 
AND  SELLER. 

2.  Recognized  defects  in  Yellow  Pine  are  knots,  knot  holes, 
splits   (either  from  seasoning,  ring  hearts  or  rough  handling), 
shake,  wane,  red  heart,   pith,  rot,   rotten  streaks,  worm   holes, 
pitch,  pitch  pockets,  torn  grain,  loosened  grain,  seasoning  checks, 
sap  stains  and  defects  caused  by  manufacturing. 

KNOTS. 

3.  Knots  shall  be  classified  as  follows  : 

(Pin, 

SIZE    \  Standard, 
[  Large. 


FORM 

|Spike. 

fSound, 

QUALITY    JLoose- 

Encased, 


[Pith  and  Unsound. 


SELLINGLUMBER  413 

4.  A  PIN  KNOT  is  sound  and  not  over  ^  inch  in  diame- 
ter. 

5.  A    STANDARD    KNOT   is    sound    and    not   over    lj£ 
inches  in  diameter. 

6.  A  LARGE  KNOT  is  one  any  size  over  \V2  inches  in 
diameter. 

7.  A  ROUND  KNOT  is  oval  or  circular  in  form. 

8.  A  SPIKE  KNOT  is  one  sawn  in  a  lengthwise  dire~- 
lion. 

(The  mean  or  average  diameter  of  knots  shall  be  considered 
ui  applying  and  construing  the  rules  except  in  dimension.) 

9.  A   SOUND   KNOT  is  one  solid  across  its   face,  is  as 
hard  as  the  wood  it  is  in;  may  be  either  red  or  black,  and  is 
so  fixed  by  growth  or  position  that  it  will  retain  its  place  in  the 
piece. 

10.  A  LOOSE  KNOT  is  one  not  held  firmly  in  place  by 
growth  or  position. 

11.  A  PITH  KNOT  is  a  sound  knot,  with  a  pith  hole  not 
more  than  J4  inch  in  diameter. 

12.  An  ENCASED  KNOT  is  one  whose  growth  rings  are 
not  intergrown  and  homogeneous  with  the  growth  rings  of  the 
piece  it  is  in.     The  encasement  may  be  partial  or  complete ;  if 
intergrown  partially  or  so  fixed  by  growth  or  position  that  it 
will  retain  its  place  in  the  piece,  it  shall  be  considered  a  sound 
knot ;  if  completely  intergrown  on  one  face,  it  is  a  water-tight 
knot. 

13.  An  UNSOUND  KNOT  is  one  not  as  hard  as  the  wood 
it  is  in. 

PITCH. 

14.  PITCH   POCKETS   are   openings  between   the  grain 
of  the  wood  containing  more  or  less  pitch  or  bark,  and  shall 
1)e  classified  as  small,  standard  and  large  pitch  pockets. 

15.  A  small  pitch  pocket  is  one  not  over  y%  of  an  inch 
wide. 

A  standard  pitch  pocket  is  one  not  over  ^  of  an  inch  wide, 
or  3  inches  in  length. 

A  large  pitch  pocket  is  one  over  y%  of  an  inch  wide  or  over 
3  inches  in  length. 


414  SELLINGLUMBER 

A  pitch  pocket  showing  open  on  both  sides  of  the  piece, 
j/8  of  an  inch  or  more  in  width,  shall  be  considered  the  same 
as  a  knot  hole  of  equal  size. 

16.  A  pitch  streak  is  a  well-defined  accumulation  of  pitch 
at  one  point  in  the  piece,  and  when  not  sufficient  to  develop  a 
well  defined  streak,  or  where  fiber  between  grains  is  not  satur- 
ated with  pitch,  it  shall  not  be  considered  a  defect. 

A  small  pitch  streak  shall  be  equivalent  to  not  over  1/12 
the  width  and  1/6  of  the  length  of  the  piece  it  is  in. 

A  standard  pitch  streak  shall  be  equivalent  to  not  over  1/6 
the  width  and  1/3  of  the  length  of  the  piece  it  is  in. 

WANE. 

17.  Wane  is  bark,  or  the  lack  of  bark,  or  a  decrease  of 
wood  from  any  cause,  on  the  edge  of  the  piece. 

SAP. 

18.  Bright   Sap   shall   not   be   considered   a   defect   in   any 
of  the  grades  provided  for  and  described  in  these  rules.     The 
restriction  or  exclusion  of  bright  sap  constitutes  a  special  class 
of  material  which  can  only  be  secured  by  special  contract.       • 

19.  Sap  Stain  shall  not  be  considered  a  defect  In  any  of 
the  grades  of  Common  Lumber. 

CLOSE  GRAIN. 

20.  "Close  Grain."     The  term  "close  grain"  shall  mean  an 
average  of  not  less  than  six  annular  rings  to  the  inch. 

DEFECTIVE  GRAIN. 

21.  Chipped  grain  consists  in  a  part  of  the  surface  being 
chipped  or  broken  out  in  small  particles  below  the  line  of  the 
cut,  and,  as  usually  found,  should  not  be  classed  as  torn  grain, 
and  shall  not  be  considered  a  defect. 

Torn  grain  consists  in  a  part  of  the  wood  being  torn  out 
in  dressing,  and  is  of  four  distinct  characters —  slight,  medium, 
heavy  and  deep. 

Slight  torn  grain  should  not  exceed  1/32  of  an  inch  in  depth, 
medium  torn  grain  1/16  of  an  inch,  and  heavy  torn  grain  Ys 
of  an  inch.  Any  torn  grain  heavier  than  %  of  an  inch  shall 
be  termed  deep. 

Loosened  grain  consists  in  a  point  of  one  grain  being  torn 
loose  from  the  next  grain. 


SELLINGLUMBER  415 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

22.  Firm   red   heart   shall   not   be   considered   a   defect   in 
any  of  the  grades  of  Common  Lumber. 

23.  Defects  in  rough  stock  caused  by  improper  manufac- 
ture and  drying  will  reduce  grades,  unless  they  can  be  removed 
in  dressing  such  stock  to  standard  sizes. 

24.  All  stock,  except  Dimension,  shall  be  inspected  on  the 
face  side  to  determine  the  grade.     In  stock  surfaced  one  ,side 
only,    the    dressed    surface    shall    be   considered   the    face    side. 
Stock   rough  or   dressed   two  sides,   or  common   boards  center 
matched,  or  shiplapped  and  S.  2  S.,  the  best  side  shall  be  con- 
sidered  the   face   side,   but   the   reverse   side   of  all   such   stock 
should  not  be  more  than  one  grade  lower. 

25.  Imperfect  manufacture  in  dressed  stock,  such  as  torn 
grain,   loosened   grain,   slight   skips   in    dressing,   wane,   broken 
knots,  mismatched,  insufficient  tongue  or  groove  on  Flooring, 
Ceiling,  Drop  Siding,  etc.,  shall  be  considered  defects,  and  will 
reduce  the  grade  according  as  they  are  slight  or  serious  in  the 
effects  on  the  use  of  the  stock. 

26.  Pieces  of  Flooring,  Drop  Siding  or  Partition,  with  3/16 
of  an  inch  or  more  of  tongue,  and  pieces  of  Ceiling  with   J/£ 
of  an  inch  or  more  of  tongue,  and  pieces  of  Shiplap  with  5/16 
inch  of  lap  will  be  admitted  in  any  grade. 

Pieces  of  Flooring,  Drop  Siding,  Ceiling  or  Partition  hav- 
ing not  less  than  1/16  of  an  inch  tongue,  will  be  admitted  in 
No.  2  Common. 

Pieces  of  Shiplap  having  less  than  5/16  of  an  inch  and  not 
less  than  l/%  of  an  inch  lap  shall  be  admitted  in  No.  2  Common. 

One  sixteenth  of  an  inch  lap  admitted  in  No.  3  Common 
Shiplap. 

27.  In  all  grades  of  D  and  Better  Flooring,  and  No.  1  Com- 
mon and  Better  Ceiling,  Drop  Siding,  etc.,  wane  on  the  reverse 
side,  equivalent  to  one-third  the  width  and  one-sixth  the  length 
of  the  piece,  provided  the  wane  does  not  extend  into  the  tongue 
or  groove,  is  admissible. 

28.  The  grade  of  all  regular  stock  shall  be  determined  by 
the    number,    character,    position    and    location    of    the    defects 
visible  in  any  piece.     The  enumerated  defects  herein  described 
admissible  in  any  grade  are  intended  to  be  descriptive  of  the 
coarsest  pieces  such  grades  may  contain. 


416  SELLINGLUMBER 

29.  Lumber  and  timber  sawed  for  specific  purposes  must 
be  inspected  with  a  view  to  its  adaptability  for  the  use  intend- 
ed.    Material  not  conforming  to  standard  sizes,  for  agricultural 
implement    companies,    wagon    companies,    car    manufacturing 
companies,  railway  companies,  etc.,  shall  be  governed  by  spe- 
cial contract  and  inspection. 

30.  The  standard  lengths  are  multiples  of  2  feet,  4  to  24  feet 
inclusive,  for  Boards,  Fencing,  Dimension,  Joists  and  Timbers ; 
multiples  of  1  foot,  4  to  20  feet,  inclusive,  for  Finishing,  Floor- 
ing, Ceiling,  Siding,  Partition,  Casing,  Base,  Window  and  Door 
Jambs — except    as    hereinafter    specified.     Longer    or    shorter 
lengths  than  those  herein  specified  are  special.     Special   frac- 
tional lengths,  when  ordered,  will  be  counted  as  the  next  higher 
standard  length. 

31.  The  standard  widths  for  lumber,  S.  1  S.  or  S.  2  S.,  or 
rough,   excluding   Dimension,   shall   be   multiples   of    1    inch — 3 
inches  and  up  in  width. 

32.  On  stock  widths  of  No.  1  Common  and  Better,  either 
rough  or  dressed  one  or  two  sides,  no  piece  should  be  counted 
as  standard  width  that  is  more  than   %-mch  scant  on  8-inch 
and  under;   %-inch   scant   on  9  and   10-inch,   or   ^-inch   scant 
on  11  and  12-inch  or  wider.     Such  pieces  should  be  measured 
as  the  next  lower  standard  width   and  not   reduced  in   grade. 
(For  width  of  No.  2  Boards  and  Fencing,  see  pages  428  and  430. 
For  dimensions  see  Sees.  91  and  99). 

33.  Yellow  pine   shall   be  classified   as   to   grain   as   Edge 
Grain  and  Flat  Grain. 

Edge  Grain  has  been  variously  designated  as  rift  sawn,  ver- 
tical grain,  quarter  sawn,  all  being  commercially  synonymous 
terms.  Edge  grain  stock  is  especially  desirable  for  Flooring 
and  admits  no  piece  in  which  the  angle  of  the  grain  exceeds 
45  degrees  from  vertical  at  any  point. 

34.  All  dressed  stock  shall  be  measured  and  sold  strip  count, 
viz.:     Full  size  of  rough  material  necessarily  used  in  its  manu- 
facture. 

All  sizes  1  inch  or  less  in  thickness  shall  be  counted  as  1 
inch  thick. 

35.  In  standard  manufacture  of  Factory  Flooring,  Decking 
or   thick   dressed   and   matched   stock,    and   stock   grooved   for 
splines,  and  for  thick  Shiplap,  the  finished  width  shall   be   V2- 


SELLING     LUMBER  417 

inch  less  over  all  than  the  count  or  measured  width  of  the  rough 
material  used  in  manufacture,  and  the  tongue  and  lap  shall  be 
measured  to  determine  the  finished  width  and  face  measure 
shall  not  be  standard. 

36.  "Equivalent"  means  equal,  and  in  construing  and  ap- 
plying these   rules,   the   defects   allowed,   whether   specified   or 
not,  are  understood  to  be  equivalent  in  damaging  effect  to  those 
mentioned  applying  to  stock  under  consideration. 

37.  No  arbitrary  rules  for  the  inspection   of  lumber  can 
be  maintained  with  satisfaction.     The  variations  from  any  given 
rule  are  numerous  and  suggested  by  practical  common  sense, 
so  nothing  more  definite   than   the   general   features   of  differ- 
ent grades  should  be  attempted  by  rules  of  inspection. 

38.  Inspection   of  lumber   is   not   an  exact   science  and   a 
reasonable   variation   of  opinion  between   inspectors   should  be 
recognized ;  therefore,  a  variation  of  not  more  than  5  per  cent 
upon*  reinspection  should  not  disturb  the  original  inspection. 

39.  Lumber  must   be   accepted   on   grade   in   the   form   in 
which  it  was  shipped.     Any  subsequent  change  in  manufacture 
or  mill   work   will   prohibit   an   inspection   for   the   adjustment 
of  claims,  except  with  the  consent  of  all  parties  interested. 

40.  The  foregoing  general  observations  shall  apply  to  and 
govern  the  application  of  the  following  specifications. 

DRESSED  YELLOW  PINE  FINISHING. 

Sizes.     Finishing  shall  be  dressed  to  the  following: 

1-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  13/16. 

l>4-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1-1/16. 

1^-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1-5/16. 

2-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1%  inches. 

These  thicknesses  also  apply  when  S.  4  S. 

1x4 — S.  4  S.  shall  be  3^  inches  wide  finished. 

1x5 — S.  4  S.  shall  be  4^  inches  wide. 

1x6 — shall  be  Sl/2  inches  wide,  finished. 

1x7 — 6T/2  inches. 

1x8—7^  inches. 

1x9—8^  inches. 

1x10—9^  inches. 

lxll—10^  inches. 

1x12—11^  inches. 


418  SELLING     LUMBER 

The  foregoing  widths  shall  also  apply  to  stock  thicker  than 
1  inch. 

Widths.  On  stock  width  shipments  of  all  Finishing  lumber, 
either  rough  or  dressed  one  or  two  sides,  no  piece  should  be 
counted  as  standard  width  that  is  more  than  J^-inch  scant  on 
8-inch  and  under;  %-inch  scant  on  9  or  10-inch,  or  ^2-inch 
scant  on  11  or  12-inch  or  wider.  Such  pieces  should  be  meas- 
ured as  the  next  lower  standard  width  and  not  reduced  in  grade. 

Lengths.  Standard  lengths  are  4  to  20  feet  and  in  ship- 
ments of  mixed  lengths,  5  per  cent  of  8  or  9-foot  in  grade  of 
C  and  Better  shall  be  admitted. 

(The  above  percentage  is  allowed  in  all  shipments  of  mixed 
lengths,  even  though  the  number  of  feet  of  each  length  in  the 
order  for  such  shipment  be  specifically  stated ; — 4,  5,  6  and  7  ft. 
not  to  be  included  except  by  special  agreement.) 

Grades:    A,  B  and  C.  . 

41.  "A"  FINISHING,  inch,  lj$,  iy2  and  2-inch,  dressed 
one  or. two  sides,  up  to  and  including  8  inches  in  width,  must 
show  one  face  practically  clear  of  all  defects ;  9  or  10  inches  in 
width,  in  addition  to  the  equivalent  of  one  split  in  end  not  more 
than  6  inches  long,  will  admit  any  one  of  the  following  defects : 
One  small  pitch  pocket,  one  pin  knot,  pitch  streak  or  sap  stain 
not  to  exceed  the  equivalent  of  6  square  inches. 

One-third  of  any  shipment  of  11  and  12-inch,  in  addition 
to  the  equivalent  of  one  split  in  end  which  should  not  exceed 
in  length  the  width  of  the  piece,  will  admit  any  one  of  the  fol- 
lowing defects  or  its  equivalent:  Three  pin  knots,  three  small 
pitch  pockets,  one  standard  pitch  pocket,  one  small  pitch  streak, 
small  seasoning  checks,  sap  stain  equivalent  to  8  square  inches 
is  allowed.  '(See  Sec.  28). 

Thirteen-inch  and  wider  "A"  Finishing  will  admit  two  of 
the  above  defects  or  their  equivalent.  Pieces  otherwise  ad- 
missible, which  have  loosened  or  torn  grain  on  the  face  side, 
shall  be  put  in  a  lower  grade. 

.42.  "B"  FINISHING,  inch,  !#,!}£  and  2-inch,  dressed 
one  or  two  sides,  up  to  and  including  10  inches  in  width,  in 
addition  to  the  equivalent  of  one  split  in  end  which  should  not 
exceed  in  length  the  width  of  the  piece,  will  admit  any  two  of 
the  following  or  their  equivalent  of  combined  defects:  Slight 


SELLING     L  UMBER  419 

torn  grain,  three  pin  knots,  one  standard  knot,  three  small  pitch 
pockets,  one  standard  pitch  pocket,  one  standard  pitch  streak, 
5  per  cent  of  sap  stain,  or  firm  red  heart;  wane  not  to  exceed 
1  inch  in  width,  ^-inch-in  depth  and  1/6  the  length  of  the  piece; 
small  seasoning  checks. 

Eleven-inch  and  wider  "B"  Finishing  will  admit  three  of  the 
above  defects  or  their  equivalent,  but  sap  stain  or  firm  red  heart 
shall  not  exceed  10  per  cent. 

43.  "C"  FINISHING,  up  to  and  including  10-inch  in  width 
will  admit,   in  addition   to  the   equivalent  of  one   split   in   end 
which  should  not  exceed  in  length  the  width  of  the  piece,  any 
two  of  the  following  or  their  equivalent  or  combined  defects: 
Twenty-five  per  cent  of  sap  stain,  25  per  cent  firm  red  heart, 
two  standard  pitch  streaks,  medium  torn  grain  in  three  places 
in  one  piece,  slight  shake,  seasoning  checks  that  do  not  show  an 
opening  through,  two  standard  pitch  pockets,  six  small  pitch 
pockets,   two   standard   knots,   six   pin   knots,   wane    1    inch   in 
width,  ^2-inch  in  depth  and  one-third  the  length  of  the  piece. 
Defective  dressing  or  slight  skips  in  dressing  will  also  be  al- 
lowed that  do  not  prevent  its  use  as  finish  without  waste. 

Eleven  and  12-inch  "C"  Finishing  will  admit  one  additional 
defect  or  its  equivalent.  Pieces  wider  than  12  inches  will  ad- 
mit two  additional  defects  to  those  admitted  in  10-inch  or  their 
equivalent,  except  sap  stain,  which  shall  not  be  increased. 

Pieces  otherwise  as  good  as  "B"  will  admit  of  twenty  pin 
worm  holes. 

44.  Special.     In   case   both   sides   are   desired   A,   B   or   C 
grade,  or  free  from  all  defects,  special  contract  must  be  made. 
Defective  dressing  or  slight  skips  in  dressing,  on  the  reverse 
side  of  Finishing,  are  admissible.     (See  Sees.  24,  25  and  36). 

PANEL  SHOP. 

45.  PANEL  SHOP  is  10  inches  and   12  inches  wide,  all 
lengths   from   8  to  20  feet  or   longer.     It  must   be   practically 
free  from  pitch  streaks,  but  may  contain  any  kind  of  defects 
that  can  be  removed  by  cross-cutting  the  board;  such  defects 
must  be  limited  in  number  and  location  so  that  cross-cutting 
to   remove   them   will   not   consume  more  than   one-quarter  of 
the  length  of  the  piece,  and  the  residue  of  the  piece  shall  be 
suitable  for  Nos.  1  and  2  Panel,  and  all  lengths  18  inches  and 


420  SELLINGLUMBER 

longer,  but  such  residue  shall  not  be  considered  to  be  of  any 
special  stock  length,  but  will  represent  the  balance  of  the  board 
after  the  defects  as  above  named  have  been  removed. 

No.  1  Panels  must  be  practically  free  from  defects  on  both 
sides  and  well  manufactured. 

No.  2  Panels  up  to  24  inches  long  will  admit  any  one  of 
the  following  defects,  which  may  show  on  both  sides :  One 
small  sound  knot  not  to  exceed  ^-inch  in  diameter;  one  small 
pitch  streak;  one  small  pitch  pocket,  the  equivalent  of  j/g-inch 
wide  and  1/16  of  an  inch  deep;  slight  sap  stain,  slight  defect 
in  manufacture.  Panels  over  24  inches  long  will  admit  two 
of  the  above  knots  or  pitch  pockets  if  not  grouped. 

FLOORING. 

Sizes.  D  AND  BETTER,  1x3,  1x4  and  1x6  inches  shall 
be  worked  to  13/16  of  an  inch  by  2^4,  2^>,  3^4  and  5%  inches. 

1^-inch  Flooring  shall  be  worked  to  1-1/16  inches  thick 
and  1^-inch  Flooring  shall  be  worked  to  1-5/16  inches  thick, 
the  same  width  and  the  same  matching  as  1-inch  stock. 

Lengths.  Standard  lengths  4  to  20  feet,  with  not  to  ex- 
ceed 5  per  cent  of  8-foot  or  9-foot  lengths  in  mixed  length  ship- 
ments of  B  and  Better,  and  in  addition  5  per  cent  of  6-foot  or 
7-foot  in  C,  D  and  No.  1  Common,  and  in  addition  5  per  cent 
of  4-foot  or  5-foot  in  No.  2  Common ;  No.  3  Common  Flooring 
4  to  20  feet  inclusive. 

(The  above  percentage  is  allowed  in  all  shipments  of  mixed 
lengths,  even  though  the  number  of  feet  of  each  length  be  specific- 
ally stated.) 

Grades.  A,  B,  C,  D,  No.  1  Common,  No.  2  Common  and 
No.  3  Sheathing  (or  No.  3  Common  Flooring),  Flat  Grain;  and 
A,  B,  C,  D  and  No.  1  Common  Edge  Grain. 

46.  Special.     Defects  named  in  Flooring  are  based  upon  a 
piece   manufactured    from    1x4 — 12    feet,    and    pieces    larger   or 
smaller  than  this  will  take  a  greater  or  lesser  number  of  de- 
fects, proportioned  to  their  size  on  this  basis,  except  that  stand- 
ard  knots   shall   not    exceed    1  ^-inches   in   diameter   in   3-inch 
Flooring. 

47.  "A"  FLAT  FLOORING  must  be  practically  free  from 
defects  on  the  face  side  and  well  manufactured. 


SELLING    LUMBER  421 

48.  "B"  FLAT  FLOORING  will  admit  any  two  of  the 

following  or  their  equivalent  of  combined  defects :  Fifteen 
per  cent  sap  stain,  15  per  cent  firm  red  heart,  three  pin  knots, 
one  standard  knot,  three  small  pitch  pockets,  one  standard  pitch 
pocket,  one  standard  pitch  streak,  slight  torn  grain,  small  sea- 
soning checks,  six  pin  worm  holes. 

49.  "C"  FLAT  FLOORING  will  admit  any  two  of  the 
following   defects   or   their    equivalent    of    combined    defects: 
Twenty-five  per  ceVit  of  sap  stain,  25  per  cent  of  firm  red  heart, 
two  standard  pitch  streaks,  medium  torn  grain,  or  other  ma- 
chine  defects   that  will   lay  without   waste;   slight   shake   that 
does   not   go   through,  or  seasoning  checks  that   do   not  show 
an  opening  through,  two  standard  pitch  pockets,  six  small  pitch 
pockets,  two  standard  knots  or  six  pin  knots,  twelve  pin  worm 
holes. 

50.  EDGE  GRAIN  FLOORING  shall  take  the  same  in- 
spection as  Flat  Grain,  except  as  to  the  angle  of  the  grain.      (See 
Sec.  33). 

51.  HEART  FACE   EDGE   GRAIN  shall   be  free   from 
sap  on  face  side. 

52.  "D"    FLAT    FLOORING    will    admit   the    following 
defects  or  their  equivalent  of  combined  defects :     Sound  knots 
not  over  one-half  the  cross  section  of  the  piece  in  the  rough  at 
any  one  point  throughout  its  length ;  three   pith  knots,  pitch, 
pitch  pockets,  sap  stain,  firm  red  heart,  seasoning  checks  that 
do  not  show  an  opening  through,  shake  that  does  not  go  through, 
a  limited  number  of  pin  worm  holes  well  scattered,  loosened  or 
heavy  torn  grain,  or  other  machine  defects  that  will  lay  with- 
out waste. 

Pieces  otherwise  as  good  as  "B"  Flooring  may  have  one  de- 
fect (like  a  knot  hole)  that  can  be  cut  out  by  wasting  \]/2 
inches  of  the  length  of  the  piece,  provided  both  pieces  are  16 
inches  or  over  in  length  after  cutting  out  such  defects. 

53.  No.  1  COMMON  FLOORING  is  the  combined  grade 
of  C  and  D  Flooring,  and  will  admit  all  pieces  that  will  not 
grade  "B,"  and  are  better  than  No.  2  Common. 

54.  No.  2  COMMON  FLOORING  admits  all  pieces  that 
will  not  grade  as  good  as  "D"  Flooring  that  can  be  used  for 
cheap  floors  without  a  waste  of  more  than  one-fourth  the  length 
of  any  one  piece.     (See  Sec.  26). 


422  SELLING    LUMBER 

55.  No.  3  SHEATHING  (OR  No.  3  COMMON  FLOOR- 
ING) will  admit  all  pieces  that  cannot  be  used  as  No.  2  Com- 
mon Flooring,  but  are  still  available  as  cheap  sheathing  or  lath- 
ing without  a  waste  of  more  than  one-fourth  the  length  of  any 
one  piece. 

56.  CENTER  MATCHED  FLOORING  (or  S.  2  S.  and 

C.  M.)  shall  be  required  to  come  up  to  grade  on  one  side  only, 
and  the  defects  admissible  on  the  reverse  'side  of  standard 
matched  shall  be  allowed. 

57.  No.   1   COMMON  FACTORY  FLOORING  will  ad- 
mit of  sound  knots  not  over  one  half  the  cross-section  of  the 
piece  at  any  point  throughout  the  length ;  pitch  pockets,  sap  stain, 
shakes  that  do  not  go  through,  firm  red  heart,  seasoning  checks 
which  do  not  show  an  opening  through  the  piece,  wane  one- 
fourth  inch  deep  on  the  face,  a  limited  number  of  pin  worm 
holes   well   scattered,   loosened   or   heavy   torn    grain   or   other 
machine  defects  which  will  lay  without  waste,  and  pith  knots 
which  will  not  cause   a  leakage  of  grain.      (See  Sees.   35   and 
123). 

CEILING. 

Sizes.  Ceiling  shall  be  worked  to  the  following:  ^-inch 
Ceiling,  5/16-inch;  ^-inch  Ceiling,  7/16-inch;  ^-inch  Ceiling, 
9/16-inch;  ^-inch  Ceiling,  11/16-inch;  same  widths  as  Floor- 
ing. The  bead  on  all  Ceiling  and  Partition  shall  be  depressed 
1/32  of  an  inch  below  surface  line  of  piece. 

Lengths.  Standard  lengths  are  4  to  20  feet.  Five  per 
cent  of  8  or  9  feet  is  allowed  in  mixed  length  shipments  of  B 
and  Better  Ceiling,  and  in  addition  5  per  cent  of  6  or  7  feet  in 
No.  1  Common,  and  in  addition  5  per  cent  of  4  to  5  feet  in 
No.  2  Common. 

(The  above  percentage  is  allowed  in  all  shipments  of  mixed 
lengths,  even  though  the  number  of  feet  of  each  length  be  specific- 
ally stated.) 

Grades :     A,  B,  No.  1  and  No.  2  Common. 

58.  Special.     Defects  named  in  Ceiling  are  based  upon  a 
piece   manufactured    from    1x4 — 12    feet,    and    pieces    larger   or 
smaller  than  this  will  take  a  greater  or  lesser  number  of  de- 
fects, proportioned  to  their  size  on  this  basis. 


SELLING    LUMBER  423 

59.  "A"  CEILING  must  be  practically  free  from  defects 
on  the  face  side  and  well  manufactured. 

60.  "B"  CEILING  will  admit  of  any  two  of  the  following 
defects  or  their  equivalent  of  combined   defects :     Slight  torn 
grain,   three   pin   knots,   one   standard   knot,   three   small   pitch 
pockets,    one    standard    pitch    pocket,    one   small   pitch    streak, 
small  seasoning  checks,  15  per  cent  sap  stain,  15  per  cent  firm 
red  heart,  six  pin  worm  holes. 

61.  No.    1    COMMON   CEILING  will   admit  the  follow- 
ing  defects   or   their   equivalent   of  combined   defects :      Sound 
knots  not  over  one-half  the  cross-section  of  piece  in  the  rough ; 
sap   stain,   pitch,   pitch   pockets,   firm   red   heart,   slight   shake, 
heavy  torn  grain,  seasoning  checks  that  do  not  show  an  open- 
ing   through ;    defects    in    manufacture    that    will    lay    without 
waste,  a  limited  number  of  pin  worm  holes  well  scattered. 

Pieces  otherwise  as  good  as  "B"  Ceiling  may  have  one  de- 
fect (like  a  knot  hole)  that  cafti  be  cut  out  by  wasting  \y2  inches 
of  the  length  of  the  piece,  provided  both  pieces  are  16  inches 
or  over  in  length  after  cutting  out  such  defects. 

62.  No.  2  COMMON  CEILING,  admits  of  all  pieces  not 
as   good  as  No.   1    Common  that   can   be  used  without  waste 
of  more  than   one-fourth   the   length  of  any   one   piece.      (See 
Sec.  26). 

WAGON  BOTTOMS. 

Sizes.  Wagon  Bottoms,  unless,  otherwise  ordered  (see 
Sec.  29),  shall  be  made  in  sets  of  38  and  42  inches  face,  and 
from  stock  4  inches  or  over  in  width.  Standard  thickness  shall 
be  13/16  of  an  inch. 

Grades  :     A  and  B. 

63.  WAGON  BOTTOMS,  unless  otherwise  ordered  (see 
Sec.  29),  shall  be  graded  the  same  as  "A"  and  "B"  Flat  Flooring. 

DROP   SIDING. 

Sizes.  D  and  M  (dressed  and  matched),  shall  be  worked 
to  2^x3^4  and  5^4  inches  face,  3^  and  Sy2  inches  over  all. 
Worked  Shiplap  to  ^4x3-inch  face,  Zy2  inches  over  all,  ^x5- 
inch  face,  5^  inches  over  all. 

Patterns  that  are  not  shown  in  Southern  Pine  Association 
Moulding  Book  of  1916  Edition  are  considered  special. 


424  SELLING    LUMBER 

Lengths.  Standard  lengths  4  to  20  feet,  5  per  cent  of  8 
or  9  feet  is  allowed  in  mixed  length  shipments  of  "B"  and  Bet- 
ter Drop  Siding,  and  in  addition  5  per  cent  of  6  or  7  feet  in 
No.  1  Common,  and  in  addition  5  per  cent  of  4  or  5  feet  in 
No.  2  Common. 

(The  above  percentage  is  allowed  in  all  shipments  of  mixed 
lengths,  even  though  the  number  of  feet  of  each  length  be  specific- 
ally stated.) 

Grades:     A,  B,  No.  1  and  No.  2  Common. 

64.  Special.     Defects  named  in  Drop  Siding  are  based  upon 
a  piece  manufactured  from  1x6 — 12  feet,  and  pieces  larger  or 
smaller  than  this  will  take  a  greater  or  lesser  number  of  de- 
fects, proportioned  to  their  size  on  this  basis. 

(For  Grades  of  8-inch  and  wider  barn  siding  see  Sees.  77 
and  79).  (For  size  see  Sec.  116). 

65.  "A"   DROP   SIDING   mtist   be   practically   free   from 
defects  on  the  face  side  and  well  manufactured. 

66.  "B"  DROP  SIDING  will  admit  any  two  of  the  fol- 
lowing defects  or  their  equivalent  of  combined  defects :     Me- 
dium torn  grain,  three   pin  knots,   one   standard  knot,    15   per 
cent   sap   stain,    15   per  cent   firm    red   heart,    small    seasoning 
checks,  six  pin  worm  holes,  or  any  one  of  the  above  defects 
combined  with  one  of  the  following:     Three  small  pitch  pock- 
ets or  one  small  pitch  streak. 

67.  No.    1    COMMON    DROP  'SIDING   will    admit    one 
standard   pitch   streak,   or   one  standard  pitch   pocket   or  their 
equivalent,  and  in  addition  sound  knots  not  over  half  the  width 
of  piece  in  the  rough;  sap  stain,  firm  red  heart,  slight  shake, 
heavy  torn   grain,   defects   in   manufacture  that  will  lay  with- 
out  waste,    seasoning   checks    that    do    not    show    an    opening 
through,  a  limited  number  of  pin  worm  holes  well  scattered. 

Pieces  otherwise  as  good  as  "B"  Drop  Siding  may  have 
one  defect  (like  a  knot  hole)  that  can  be  cut  out  by  wasting 
1^2  inches  of  the  length  of  the  piece,  provided  both  pieces  are 
16  inches  or  over  in  length  after  cutting  out  such  defects. 

68.  No.  2  COMMON  DROP  SIDING  admits  of  all  pieces 
not  as  good  as  No.  1  Common  that  can  be  used  without  waste 
or  more  than  one-fourth  the  length  of  any  one  piece. 


SELLINGLUMBER  425 

BEVEL    SIDING. 

Sizes.  Bevel  Siding  shall  be  made  from  stock  S.  4  S. 
worked  to  13/16  of  an  inch  by  3*/2  and  5^  and  resawed  on 
a  bevel. 

Lengths.  Standard  lengths  4  to  20  feet.  Five  per  cent  of 
8  or  9  feet  is  allowed  in  mixed  length  shipments  of  "B"  and 
Better  Bevel  Siding,  and  in  addition  5  per  cent  of  6  or  7  feet 
in  No.  1  Common,  and  in  addition  5  per  cent  of  4  or  5  feet  in 
No.  2  Common. 

(The  above  percentage  is  allowed  in  all  shipments  of  mixed 
lengths,  even  though  the  number  of  feet  of  each  length  be  specific- 
ally stated.) 

Grades:     A,  B,  No.  1  and  No.  2  Common. 

69.  BEVEL   SIDING  shall   be   graded   according  to  the 
rules  for  Drop  Siding,  and  will  admit  in  addition  slight  imper- 
fections  on  the  thin   edge,   which  will  be  covered   by  the   lap 
when  laid'  2y2  and  4^  inches  to  the  weather. 

PARTITION. 

Sizes.     Partition  shall  be  worked  to  24x3*4  and  5%  inches. 
Lengths.     Same  percentage  of  short  lengths  allowed  as  in 
Ceilirig. 

Grades :     A,  B,  No.  1  and  No.  2  Common. 

70.  PARTITION    shall   be   graded   according   to    Ceiling 
rules,  and  must  meet  the  requirements  of  the  specified  grades 
on  the  face  side  only,  but  the  reverse  side  shall  not  be  more 
than  one  grade  lower,  and  shall  not  cause  waste  in  No.  1  Com- 
mon and  Better. 

MOULDED  CASING  AND  BASE,  WINDOW  AND  DOOR 

JAMBS. 

Sizes  of  Moulded  Casing  and  Base  shall  be  worked  to  24- 
inch  as  per  patterns  shown  in  Southern  Pine  Association 
Moulding  Book,  1916  Edition.  (See  Sec.  34).  (For  widths  of 
Plain  Casing,  see  Finishing  S.  4  S.) 

WINDOW  AND  DOOR  JAMBS,  Dressed,  Rabbeted  and 
Plowed  as  ordered.  (See  Sec.  34). 

Grades:     A,  B  and  C. 

71.  "A"  MOULDED  CASING  AND  BASE  must  be  prac- 
tically free  from  defects  on  the   face  side   and  well   manufac- 
tured. 


426  SELLING    LUMBER 

72.  "B"  CASING  OR  BASE  shall  admit  the  same  defects 
as  are  admissible  in  the  same  widths  of  "B"  Finishing,  except 
wane.     (See  Sec.  42). 

73.  "C"  CASING  OR  BASE  shall  admit  the  same  defects 
as  are  admissible  in  the  same  widths  of  "C"  Finishing,  except 
wane.     (See  Sec.  43). 

74.  WINDOW  AND  DOOR  JAMBS  shall  be  graded  the 
same  as  Moulded  Casing  and  Base.     (See  Sec.  34  for  width). 

75.  "B"  AND  BETTER  MOULDING.    One-third  of  any 
item  may  contain  any  one  of  the  following  defects  or  its  equiva- 
lent:    One  pin  knot,  small  pitch  pockets,  pitch  1  inch  wide,  6 
inches  long;  slight  sap  stain  covering  six  inches  of  the  length 
of  the  piece;  three  pin  worm  holes;  slight  defects  in  dressing. 
(See  Sec.  28).     Standard  lengths:     Eight  feet  and  longer,  and 
in  shipments  of  mixed  lengths  5  per  cent  of  6  or  7  feet  shall 
be  admitted,  even  though  the  number  of  feet  of  each  length  be 
specifically  stated. 

Sizes  as  per  Southern  Pine  Association  Moulding  Book, 
1916  Edition. 

COMMON  BOARDS,  SHIPLAP  AND  BARN  SIDING. 

Sizes  of  Boards.  One-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  13/16,  l%- 
inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1-1/16,  1^-inch,  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1-5/16. 
These  thicknesses  also  apply  to  S.  4  S. 

All  1-inch  Common  lumber  which  is  ordered  dressed  one 
or  two  sides,  one  edge  may  be  dressed  to  bring  the  width 
%-inch  scant  of  full  width. 

Widths.  .  In  stock  width  shipments  of  No.  1  Common,  either 
rough  or  dressed  one  or  two  sides,  no  piece  should  be  counted 
as  standard  width  that  is  more  than  %-'mch  scant  on  8-inch 
and  under;  ^-inch  scant  on  9  or  10-inch,  or  j^-inch  scant  on 
11  or  12-inch  or  wider.  Pieces  narrower  than  this  should  be 
measured  as  the  next  lower  standard  width  and  not  reduced 
in  grade. '  Material  when  ordered  worked  two  faces  to  serve 
two  purposes,  like  Grooved  Roofing  S.  2  S.,  Shiplap  S.  2  S., 
Center  Matched  S.  2  S.,  or  one  face,  worked  to  a  pattern,  like 
Barn  Siding,  shall  be  inspected  from  the  best  face;  1%-inch 
and  1^-inch  Common  shall  take  the  same  inspection  as  1-inch 
boards. 


SELLING    LUMBER  427 

Boards  1x8,  S.  4  S.  shall  be  worked  7y2  inches  wide;  1x9 — 
8l/2  inches;  1x10—9^  inches;  lxll—10^  inches;  1x12—11% 
inches. 

Sizes  of  No.  1  Common  D.  and  M.  and  Barn  Siding.  Eight, 
10  and  12-inch  shall  be  worked  to  ^x7y8)  9y8  and  11^  inches. 
Shiplap  worked  to  ^4-inch  thick,  face  same  width  as  D.  and  M. 
and  Barn  Siding. 

Standard  lengths  are  multiples  of  two  feet,  4  to  24  feet, 
inclusive,  in  any  manufacture  of  Common  Boards ;  in  mixed 
lengths  and  miscellaneous  shipments  not  more  than  5  per  cent 
of  8  feet  shall  be  included  in  No.  1  and  No.  2  Common,  with 
an  additional  5  per  cent  of  4  and  6  feet  in  shipments  of  No.  3 
and  No.  4  Common,  except  by  special  agreement. 

Grades :     No.  1,  No.  2,  No.  3  and  No.  4  Common. 

No.    1    COMMON   BOARDS. 

76.  No.  1  COMMON  BOARDS,  dressed  one  or  two  sides, 
will  admit  any  number  of  sound  knots,  the  mean  or  average 
diameter  of  any  one  knot  should  not  be  more  than  2  inches  in 
stock  8  inches  wide,  nor  more  than  2y2  inches  in  stock  10  and 
12  inches  wide ;  two  pith  knots ;  the  equivalent  of  one  split,  not 
to  exceed  in  length  the  width  of  the  piece ;  torn  grain,  pitch, 
pitch   pockets,   slight  shake,   sap  stain,  seasoning  checks,   firm 
red  heart,  wane  ^-inch  deep  on  the  edge  not  exceeding  1-inch 
in  width  and  one-third  the  length  of  the  piece,  or  its  equiva- 
lent ;  and  a  limited  number  of  pin  worm  holes  well  scattered ; 
or  defects  equivalent  to  the  above. 

77.  No.  1  COMMON  SHIPLAP  OR  D.  &  M.  AND  BARN 
SIDING  shall  be  graded  by  rules  governing  No.   1   Common 
Boards,  except  as  to  wane,  which  shall  not  be  so  deep  as  to 
extend  into  the   tongue   or  one-half  the  thickness  of  the  top 
lip  on  the  groove  in  D.  &  M.,  or  over  one-half  the  thickness 
of  the  lap  in  Shiplap  on  the  face  side.     (See  Sec.  26). 

GROOVED   ROOFING. 

Sizes  of  Grooved  Roofing.  Ten  and  12-inch  S.  1  S.  and 
2  E.  shall  be  worked  to  13/16  by  9^  and  11#  inches. 

Size  of  Groove  to  be  ^-inch  wide,  %-inch  deep  and  lo- 
cated 1  3/16-inches  from  outer  edge  of  the  groove  to  edge  of 
board. 


428  SELLING    LUMBER 

Standard  lengths  are  multiples  of  two  feet,  4  to  24  feet, 
inclusive,  but  lengths  shorter  than  10  feet'  shall  not  be  includ- 
ed in  miscellaneous  or  mixed  lengths  shipments  except  by  agree- 
ment. 

78.  GROOVED  ROOFING  shall  be  graded  by  rules  gov- 
erning No.  1  Common  Boards,  omitting  the  pith  knots,  worm 
holes,  splits  and  seasoning  checks  that  show  an  opening  through. 

No.  2  COMMON  BOARDS,  D.  &  M.,  OR  SHIPLAP, 
GROOVED  ROOFING  AND  BARN  SIDING. 

Sizes.  One-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  13/16;  1%-inch  S.  1  S. 
or  2  S.  to  1  1/16;  1^-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1  5/16  inches. 
These  thicknesses  also  apply  when  S.  4  S.,  Shiplap,  D.  &  M. 
and  Barn  Siding  worked  to  3/^-inch  thick. 

Widths.  On  stock  width  shipments  of  No.  2  Common, 
either  rough  or  dressed  one  or  two  sides,  no  piece  should  be 
counted  as  standard  width  that  is  more  than  ^2-inch  scant  on 
8-inch  and  under;  ^-inch  on  9  or  10-inch,  and  ^4-inch  on  11 
and  12-inch  or  wider.  Pieces  narrower  than  this  should  be 
measured  as  the  next  lower  standard  of  width  and  not  reduced 
in  grade. 

No.   2    COMMON    BOARDS. 

79.  No.  2  COMMON  BOARDS,  dressed  one  or  two  sides ; 
No.  2   Shiplap,  Grooved  Roofing,   D.  &   M.  and  Barn   Siding 
will  admit  knots  not  necessarily  sound;  but  the  mean  or  aver- 
age diameter  of  any  one  knot  shall  not  be  more  than  one-third 
of  the  cross  section  if  located  on  the  edge,  and  shall  not  be 
more  than  one-half  of  the  cross-section  if  located  away  from 
the  edge;  if  sound  may  extend  one-half  the  cross-section  if  lo- 
cated on  the  edge,  except  that  no  knot,  the  mean  or  average 
diameter  of  which  exceeds  4  inches  should  be  admitted;  worm 
holes,  splits  one-fourth  the  length  of  the  piece,  wane  2  inches 
wide  or  through  heart  shakes,  one-half  the  length  of  the  piece; 
through  rotten  streaks   ^-inch  wide  one-fourth  the  length   of 
the  piece,  or  its  equivalent  of  unsound  red  heart;  or  defects 
equivalent  to  the  above. 

A  knot  hole  3  inches  in  diameter  will  be  admitted,  pro- 
vided the  piece  is  otherwise  as  good  as  No.  1  Common. 

80.  Miscut  1-inch  Common  Boards  which  do  not  fall  be- 
low 24-inch  in  thickness  shall  be  admitted  in  No.  2  Comhion, 


SELLINGLUMBER  429 

provided  the  grade  of  such  thin  stock  is  otherwise  as  good  as 
No.  1  Common. 

No.  3  COMMON  BOARDS. 

81.  No.  3  COMMON  BOARDS,  No.  3  COMMON  SHIP- 
LAP,  D.  &  M.  AND  BARN  SIDING  is  defective  lumber,  and 
will  admit  of  coarse  knots,  knot  holes,  very  wormy  pieces,  red 
rot  and  other  defects  that  will  not  prevent  its  use  as  a  whole 
for  cheap  sheathing,  or  which  will  cut  75  per  cent  of  lumber 
as  sound  as  No.  2  Common. 

No.    4    COMMON    BOARDS. 

82.  No.   4.  COMMON  BOARDS   shall  include  all  pieces 
that   fall   below  the   grade   of   No.   3   common,   excluding  such 
pieces  as   will  not   be   held  in   place   by  nailing,   after  wasting 
one-fourth  the  length  of  the  piece  by  cutting  into  two  or  three 
pieces ;  mill  inspection  to  be  final. 

FENCING. 
3,  4,  5  AND  6  INCHES  WIDE. 

Sizes.  One-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  13/16,  1^-inch  S.  1  S. 
or  2  S.  to  1-1/16,  1^-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1-5/16.  These 
thicknesses  also  apply  when  S.  4  S. 

When  4  and  6-inch  Fencing  is  S.  2  S.  and  C.  M.,  the  fin- 
ished thickness  shall  be  ^-inch  and  inspected  under  flooring 
rules. 

Widths.  On  stock  widths  of  3,  4,  5  and  6-inch  No.  1  Com- 
mon, no  piece  shall  be  counted  as  standard  width  that  is  more 
than  ^4-inch  scant  in  width.  Pieces  narrower  than  this  should 
be  measured  as  the  next  lower  standard  width  and  not  reduced 
in  grade. 

Grades :     No.  I,  No.  2,  No.  3  and  No.  4  Common. 

No.  1  FENCING. 

83.  No.  1  FENCING  shall  admit  of  the  following  defects 
or  their  equivalent :  Sound  knots,  the  mean  or  average  diameter 
of  any  one  knot  shall  not  be  more  than  2  inches  in  5  and  6-inch 
stock,  nor  more  than   \y2   inches  in  3  and  4-inch  stock,  three 
pith  knots,  wane   ^2-inch  deep  on  edge,  not  exceeding  1   inch 
wide  one-third  the  length  of  the  piece ;  torn  grain,  pitch,  pitch 
pockets,    sap    stain,    seasoning   checks,    slight    shake,    firm    red 


430  SELLING    LUMBER 

heart  and  a  limited  number  of  small  worm  holes  well  scattered, 
and  the  equivalent  of  one  split  not  to  exceed  in  length  the  width 
of  the  piece. 

No.  2  FENCING. 

Sizes.     One-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  13/16-inch. 

Widths.  In  3,  4,  5  and  6-inch  No.  2  Common  stock  no 
piece  shall  be  counted  as  standard  width  that  is  more  than 
^2-inch  scant  in  width.  Such  pieces  should  be  measured  as  the 
next  lower  standard  width  and  not  reduced  in  grade. 

84.  No.  2  FENCING  in  addition  to  the  defects  allowed  in 
No.  1  Common  will  admit  the  following  defects  or  their  equiva- 
lent :    Knots,  not  necessarily  sound,  the  mean  or  average  diame- 
ter of  any  one  knot  shall  not  be  more  than  one-half  the  cross- 
section  if  located  on  the  edge,  and  shall  not  be  more  than  two- 
thirds  of  the  cross-section  if  located  away  from  the  edge ;  one 
split  one-fourth  the  length  of  the  piece ;  worm  holes ;  through 
rotten  streaks,  ^-inch  wide,  one-fourth  the  length  of  the  piece, 
or  the   equivalent  of  unsound   red   heart ;   shake   or  wane,  but 
must  not  cut  to  waste. 

A  knot  hole  ll/2  inches  in  diameter  or  its  equivalent  in 
small  hollow  knots  will  be  allowed,  provided  the  piece  is  other- 
wise as  good  as  No.  1  Common. 

85.  Miscut  1-inch  Common  Fencing  which  does  not  fall  be- 
low ^4-inch  in  thickness  shall  be  admitted  in  No.  2  Common, 
provided  the  grade  of  such  thin  stock  is  otherwise  as  good  as 
No.'  1  Common. 

No.  3   FENCING. 

86.  No.  3  FENCING  is  defective  lumber,  and  will  admit 
of  coarse  knots,  knot  holes,  very  wormy   pieces,   red   rot   and 
other  defects  that  will  not  prevent  its  use  as  a  whole  for  cheap 
sheathing,  or  which  will  cut  75  per  cent  of  lumber  as  sound  as 
No.  2  Common. 

No.  4  FENCING. 

87.  No.  4  FENCING  shall  include  all  pieces  that  fall  be- 
low the  grade  of  No.  3  common,  excluding  such  pieces  as  will 
not  be  held  in  place  by  nailing,  after  wasting  one-fourth  the 
length  of  the  piece  by  cutting  into  two  or  three  pieces ;  mill 
inspection  to  be  final. 


SELLING     LUMBER  431 

DIMENSION  AND  HEAVY  JOIST. 

Sizes.  Dimension  shall  be  worked  to  the  following:  2x4 
S.  1  S.  and  1  E.  to  1^x3^  inches;  2x6  S.  1  S.  and  1  E.  to 
1^x5^  inches;  2x8  S.  1  S.  and  1  E.  to  1^x7^  inches;  2x10 
S.  1  S.  and  1  E.  to  1^x9^  inches;  2x12  S.  1  S.  and  1  E.  to 
1^x11^  inches.  Dimension  S.  4  S.  ^-inch  less  in  thickness 
and  width  than  S.  1  S.  1  E.  shall  be  standard,  but  no  objection 
shall  be  made  to  stock  finished  to  the  standard  size  for  S.  and  E. 

HEAVY  JOISTS  shall  be  worked  to  the  following:  2x14, 
2y2  and  3x10,  3x12  and  3x14,  S.  1  S.  and  1  E.,  green,  ^-inch 
off  side  and  y2-mch  off  edge;  S.  4  S.  ^-inch  off  each  face  sur- 
faced. Heavy  Joists,  rough,  green,  must  not  be  over  %-inch 
scant  in  width  or  thickness. 

Dry  2x14  shall  be  dressed  to  the  standard  thickness  of  2x12. 

Lengths.  Standard  lengths  are  multiples  of  two  feet,  4 
to  24  feet,  inclusive,  but  lengths  shorter  than  10  feet  shall'  not 
be  included  in  miscellaneous  or  mixed  length  shipments,  ex- 
cept by  agreement. 

Grades:      No.  1,  No.  2  and  No.  3  Common. 

88.  Inspection  of  Dimension  is  a  question  of  strength  and 
uniformity  of  size,  and  whatever  reduces  its  strength  in  cross- 
section  must  be  considered  a  defect  to  that  extent.     In  comput- 
ing the  area  of  cross-section  occupied   by  defects  the   size  of 
the  piece  in  the  rough  must  be  considered. 

89.  No.     1     COMMON     DIMENSION    AND    HEAVY 
JOISTS  will  admit  sound  knots,  none  of  which  in  2x4s  should" 
be  larger  than  two  inches   in   diameter  on   one   or  both   sides 
of  the  piece,  and  on  wider  stock  which  do  not  occupy  more  than 
one-third  of  the  cross-section  at  any  point  throughout  its  length, 
if  located  at  the  edge  of  the  piece,  or  more  than  one-half  of 
the  cross-ection  if  located  away  from  the  edge;  pith  knots,  or 
smaller  defective  knots  which  do  not  weaken  the  piece  more 
than  the  knot  aforesaid;  will  admit  of  seasoning  checks,  firm 
red  heart,   heart  shakes  that  do  not  go  through ;  wane   Y^  of 
an  inch  deep  on  edge,  one-fourth  the  width  and  one-third  the 
length  of  the  piece;   pitch,   sap  stain,   pitch   pockets,   splits   in 
ends  not  exceeding  in  length  the  width  of  the  piece,  a  limited 
number   of  small   worm   holes   well   scattered,   and   such   other 


432  SELLINGLUMBER 

defects  as  do  not  prevent  its  use  as  substantial  structural  ma- 
terial. 

90.  No.  2  COMMON  DIMENSION  may  have  knots  not 
necessarily   sound,    which    do    not   occupy   more   than    one-half 
of  the  cross-section  at  any  one  point  if  located  at  the  edge  of 
the  piece,  nor  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  cross-section  if  lo- 
cated away  from  the  edge ;  smaller,  loose,  hollow  or  rotten  knots 
that  do  not  weaken  the  piece  more  than  the  knots  aforesaid ; 
will  admit  rotten  streaks,  shake,  wane,  worm  holes,   split  not 
to  exceed  one-quarter  the  length  of  the  piece,  and  other  defects 
which  do  not  prevent  its  use  without  waste. 

91.  Miscut  2-inch  Common  stock  which  does  not  fall  be- 
low  \y2   inches  in  thickness,  or   ^-inch  scant   in  width,   from 
standard  size  shall  be  admitted  in  No.  2  Common,  provided  such 
pieces  are  in  all  other  respects  as  good  as  No.   1   Common  at 
point  of  miscut. 

92.  No.  3  DIMENSION  will  include  all  pieces  falling  be- 
low No.  2  Grade  which  are  sound  enough  to  use  for  cheap  build- 
ing material  by  wasting  25  per  cent  of  each  piece  of  one-third 
of  number  of  pieces  in  any  item  of  a  shipment,  but  it  must  not 
be   more   than    ^-inch    scant   of    standard    finished    width    nor 
J^-inch  scant  of  standard  finished  thickness.     (See  Sec.  28). 

ROUGH    YELLOW   PINE   FINISHING. 

Widths.  On  stock  width  shipments  of  "C  and  Better"  Fin- 
ish, either  rough  or  dressed,  one  or  two  sides,  no  piece  should 
be  counted  as  standard  width  that  is  more  than  %-inch  scant 
on  8-inch  and  under;  %-inch  scant  on  9  and  10-inch,  or  ^-inch 
scant  on  11  and  12-inch  or  wider.  Such  pieces  should  be  meas- 
sured  as  the  next  lower  standard  of  width  and  not  reduced  in 
grade. 

Lengths.  Standard  lengths  are  4  to  20  feet,  and  in  ship- 
ments of  mixed  lengths  5  per  cent  of  8  or  9  feet  in  grade  of  "C 
and  Better"  shall  be  admitted. 

(The  above  percentage  is  allowed  in  all  shipments  of  mixed 
lengths,  even  though  the  number  of  feet  of  each  length  be  specific- 
ally stated; — 4,  5,'  6  and  7  feet  lengths  not  to  be  included  except 
by  special  agreement.} 


SELLING    LUMBER  433 

93.  Finish  must  be  evenly  manufactured,  and  shall  em- 
brace all  sizes  from  1  to  2  inches  in  thickness  by  3  inches  and 
over  in  width. 

,  uj  94.  One-inch,  1^4  and  1  ^2-inch  Finishing  lumber,  unless 
otherwise  ordered,  shall  measure,  when  dry,  not  more  than  1/16- 
inch  scant  in  thickness ;  on  '2-inch  it  may  measure  ^-inch 
scant. 

95.  Wane,   seasoning  checks   and   other  defects   that  will 
dress  out  in  working  to  standard  thickness  and  widths  are  ad- 
missible. 

96.  Subject  to  the  foregoing  provisions  Rough   Finishing 
shall    be    graded    according    to    the    specifications    applying   to 
Dressed  Finishing  lumber. 

97.  All   Finishing  lumber,  ordered  rough,  if  thicker  than 
the  count  thickness  for  dry  or  green  stock,  may  be  dressed  to 
such  count  thickness,  and  when  so  dressed  shall  be  considered 
as  rough.     When  like  grade  on  both  faces  is  required,  special 
contract  must  be  made. 

COMMON  BOARDS,  FENCING  AND  DIMENSION. 

98.  ROUGH  1-INCH  COMMON  BOARDS  AND  FENC- 
ING should  not  be  less  than  %-inch  thick  when  dry;  1^-inch 
and  1  ^2-inch,  j/^-inch  scant  of  count  thickness. 

99.  ROUGH  2-INCH  COMMON  should  not  be  less  than 
1%  inches  thick  when  green,  or  1^4  inches  thick  when  dry.    The 
several  widths  should  not  be  less  than  ^-inch  over  the  stand- 
ard dressing  width  for  such  stock  when  dry. 

100.  ROUGH    COMMON    DIMENSION    of    a   greater 
thickness  than  2  inches  and  less  than  4  inches   shall  be   sub- 
ject to  special  contract  as  to  thickness  and  width. 

101.  ROUGH  DIMENSION,  if  thicker  than  count  thick- 
ness  for   dry   or  green   stock,   may   be   dressed   to   such   count 
thickness,  and  when  so  dressed  shall  be  considered  as  rough 
stock. 

102.  The  defects  admissible  in  Rough  Boards,  Fencing  and 
Dimension  shall  be  the  same  as  those  applying  to  dressed  stock 
of  like  kind  and  grade,  and  such  further  defects  as  would  dis- 
appear in  dressing  to  standard  sizes  of  such  material  shall  be 
allowed. 


434  SELLING    LUMBER 

YELLOW  PINE  LATH. 

103.  No.   1   LATH  should  measure  2  inches  in  thickness 
to  every  five  lath,  green.     The  minimum  thickness  of  any  one 
lath  shall  not  be  less  than  5/16  of  an  inch,  green,  and  should 
not  be  less  than   1-7/16  inches,  in  width,  green,  length  4  feet; 
1^   inches  thickness   to   every  five   lath,   dry,   and   should   not 
measure  less  than  1-5/16  inches  in  width  when  dry.     Will  ad- 
mit wane  ^-inch  deep,  %-inch  on  face  and  6  inches  long;  pin 
worm  holes  and  one  pin  knot.     Must  not  be  more  than  ^-inch 
short  in  length.     Blue  sap  stain  shall  not  be  considered  a  de- 
fect. 

Lath  1  inch  wide  and  48  inches  long  may  be  furnished  when 
ordered  on  the  above  specifications. 

Lath  32  inches  long  may  be  furnished  when  ordered  on  the 
above  specifications. 

104.  No.  2  LATH  shall  consist  of  pieces  that  fall  below 
the  grade  of  No.  1  which  are  not  less  than  1%  inches  in  width, 
y$  of  an  inch  thick,  when  dry,  and  are  not  more  than  %-inch 
short  in  length.    Will  admit  wane,  worm  holes,  knots  and  other 
defects  that  will  not  prevent  their  use  without  waste. 

BYRKIT  LATH. 

Sizes.  24x3^  and  5%  inches  wide ;  lengths  4  feet  and  up- 
ward. 

105.  STANDARD  BYRKIT  LATH  shall  consist  of  ma- 
terial that  will  be  held  firmly  in  place  and  support  plaster  by 
ordinary  nailing,  by  not  wasting  more  than  10  per  cent  of  any 
piece  and  that  will  present  a  full  surface  with  no  openings  over 
^2-inch  in  width  and  3  inches  in  length.     The  ends  of  pieces 
of  Byrkit  Lath  are  not  expected  to  meet  on  studding,  and  only 
such  quantity  shall  be  counted  waste  as  is  necessary  to  remove 
a  defect. 

STANDARD  SIZES  OF  DRESSED  LUMBER. 

106.  Finishing  shall  be  dressed  to  the  following  sizes: 
1-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  13/16. 

1^-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1-1/16. 
1^-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1-5/16. 

2-inch  S.  1  S.  or  2  S.  to  1  j£  inches.  These  thicknesses  also 
apply  when  S.  4  S. 


SELLING    LUMBER  435 

The  Standard  Widths  of  S.  4  S.  shall  be  as  follows: 
1x4  shall  be  3%  inches. 
1x5  shall  be  4%  inches. 
1x6  shall  be  5%  inches. 
1x7  shall  be  6l/2  inches. 
1x8  shall  be  7y2  inches. 
1x9  shall  be  8%  inches. 
1x10  shall  be  9l/2  inches. 
1x11  shall  be  10%  inches. 
1x12  shall  be  11%  inches. 

The  foregoing  widths  shall  also  apply  to  stock  thicker  than 
1-inch. 

107.  Moulded  Casing  and  Base  shall  be  worked  to  %-inch, 
as  per  patterns  shown  in  Southern  Pine  Association  Moulding 
Book,  1916  Edition. 

108.  Flooring.     The  standard  of  1x3,   1x4  and  1x6  inches 
"D  and  Better"  shall  be  worked  to  13/16x2%,  2%,  3%  and  5% 
inches;  1 54-inch  Flooring  shall  be  worked  to  1-1/16  inches  thick, 
1%-inch  Flooring  shall  be  worked  to  1-5/16  inches  thick,  the 
same  width  and  matching  as  1-inch  stock. 

109.  Drop   Siding.     D.   &   M.   shall   be  worked   to   24x3% 
and  5%-inch  face,  3%  and  5%  over  all.     Worked  Shiplap  %x3- 
inch  face,  3%  over  all ;  %x5-inch  face,  5%  over  all. 

Patterns  that  are  not  shown  in  Southern  Pine  Association 
Moulding  Book  of  1916  Edition  are  considered  special. 

110.  Ceiling  shall  be  worked  to  the  following: 
^-inch  Ceiling,  5/16-inch. 

%-inch  Ceiling,  7/16-inch. 

5^-inch  Ceiling,  9/16-inch. 

24-inch  Ceiling,  11/16-inch. 

Same  width  as  Flooring. 

The  standard  working  of  Ceiling  shall  be  beaded  center 
and  edge  with  slight  bevel  on  groove  edge. 

The  bead  on  all  Ceiling  and  Partition  shall  be  depressed 
1/32  of  an  inch  below  surface  line  of  piece. 

111.  Partition  shall  be  worked  to  the  following:     24x3% 
and  5%   inches,  with  same  standard  for  location   and  size   of 
bead  as  applies  to  Ceiling.     (See  Sec.  110.) 

112.  Bevel  Siding  to  be  made  from  stock  S.  4  S.  worked 
to  13/16x3%  and  5%  and  resawed  on  a  bevel. 


436  SELLING     LUMBER 

113.  Window   and    Door   Jambs,    Dressed    Rabbeted    and 
Plowed  as  ordered.     (See  Sec.  34). 

114.  Boards  and   Fencing.     One-inch   S.    1    S.   or  2   S.   to 
13/16-inch,  also  when  S.  4  S. 

115.  Barn  Siding,  D.  &  M.;  8,  10  and  12  inches,  shall  be 
worked  to  $4x7%,  9y8  and  ny8  inches  face;  7%,  9%  and  113/6 
inches  over  all. 

116.  Barn   Siding   Shiplap,  8,    10   and    12  inches   shall   be 
worked  to  ^4x7^,  9y$  and  11^-inch  face,  with  %-inch  lap,  %- 
inch  thick  and  %-inch  long;  7^,  9^  and  11^  inches  over  all. 

117.  D.  &  M.  Common  Boards,  8,  10  and  12  inches  shall 
be  worked  to  the  following:     24x7 j/£,  9l/%  and  11^  inches;  7%, 
9%  and  11%  inches  over  all. 

118.  Grooved  Roofing.     Ten  and  12-inch  S.  1  S.  and  2  E. 
shall  be  worked  to  13/16x9^  and  Iiy4. 

119.  Wagon  Bottoms,  unless^  otherwise  ordered  (see  Sec. 
32),  shall  be  made  in  sets  38  and  42  inches  face,  and  from  stock 
4  inches  or  over  in  width.    Standard  thicknesses  shall  be  13/16- 
inch. 

120.  Dimension  shall  be  worked  to  the  following: 
2x4  S.  1  S.  and  1  E.  to  1^x3^  inches. 

2x6  S.  1  S.  and  1  E.  to  1^x5^  inches. 
2x8  S.  1  S.  and  1  E.  to  1^x7^  inches. 
2x10  S.  1  S.  and  1  E  to  I^x9>4  inches. 
2x12  S.  1  S.  and  1  E.  to  1^x11^  inches. 
Dimension  S.  4  S.  ^-inch  less  than  standard  size  S.   1   S. 
and  1  E. 

121.  All  sizes  in  Dimension  are  subject  to  natural  shrink- 
age. 

122.  Heavy  Joists  shall  be  worked  to  the  following :    2x14, 
2y2   and  3x10,  12  and  14,  S.   1   S.  and   1   E.,  green,   y4-inch  off 
side  and   ^-inch  off  edge,   S.  4   S.    ^-inch   off  each   face  sur- 
faced.    Heavy  Joists,  rough,  green,  should  not  be  over  %-inch 
scant  in  width  or  thickness. 

123.  Heavy  Flooring.     For  2  and  2^-inch  matching  the 
thickness  should  be  %-inch  less  than  the  rough  material  when 
surfaced  one  side;  when  S.  2  S.  should  be  7/16-inch  less  than 
count  thickness,  or  1/16-inch  less  than  when  S.  1  S.    The  tongue 
should  be  3/6-inch  thick  and  %-inch  long.     For  3-inch  and  thick- 
er matching  the  tongue   should   be   ^4-inch   thick   and   %-inch 


SELLINGLUMBER  437 

long,  and  the  thickness  of  the  stock  should  be  ^-inch  less  than 
the  rough  material.  The  groove  in  heavy  matchings  should  be 
1/16-inch  wider  than  the  thickness  of  the  tongue,  and  1/16-inch 
deeper  than  the  length  of  the  tongue. 

Tongue  and  groove  shall  be  located  one-quarter  the  thick- 
ness of  the  rough  material  from  the  bottom  of  the  piece. 

In  2-inch  and  thicker  material  plowed  for  splines,  the  groove 
should  be  the  same  width  and  depth  as  is  provided  for  in  match- 
ing material  of  the  same  thickness. 

Heavy  Shiplap  shall  be  worked  to  the  same  thickness  as 
Heavy  Flooring.  xThe  lap  shall  be  ^-inch  long,  occupying  one- 
half  the  finished  thickness  of  the  piece. 

124.  Timbers  shall  be  worked  to  the  following:     4x4  and 
larger  S.  1  S.  or  S.  and  E.  %-inch  off  each  face  surfaced;  S.  3 
S.  or  S.  4  S.  %-inch  off  each  face  surfaced. 

125.  All  sizes  in  Timbers  are  subject  to  natural  shrinkage. 

SIZE  OF  YELLOW  PINE  LATH. 

126.  No.  1  Lath  should  measure  2  inches  in  thickness  to 
every  five  lath,  green ;  the  minimum  thickness  of  any  one  lath 
shall  not  be  less  than  5/16  of  an  inch,  green,  and  should  not  be 
less  than  1-7/16  inches  in  width,  green,  length  4  feet;  \y%  inches 
thickness  to  every  five  lath,  dry;  and  should  not  measure  less 
than    1-5/16   inches   in   width,   dry.      Must   not   be   more   than 
^-inch  short  in  length. 

Lath  1  inch  wide  and  48  inches  long  may  be  furnished 
when  ordered  on  the  above  specifications. 

Lath  32  inches  long  may  be  furnished  when  ordered  on  the 
above  specifications. 

127.  No.  2  Lath  must  be  not  less  than  1%  inches  in  width, 
%-inch   thick   when   dry,   and   not  more  than   %-inch   short  in 
length. 

128.  Byrit  Lath  to  be  %x3^2  and  5%  inches  wide;  lengths, 
4  feet  and  upward. 

PICKETS. 

129.  Square  Pickets  from  IJ^-inch  stock  shall  be  worked 
to  1-5/16x1-5/16,  3  and  4  feet  long,  dressed  on  four  sides  and 
pointed;  1%-inch  stock  shall  be  worked  to  1-1/16x1-1/16,  3  and 
4  feet  long,  dressed  on  four  sides  and  pointed. 


438 


SELLING    LUMBER 


130.     Flat    Pickets    from   1x3    stock    shall    be    worked    to 
ftx.2%,  3  and  4  feet  long,  dressed  on  four  sides  and  headed. 

AVERAGE  WEIGHTS   OF  SOUTHERN  YELLOW  PINE 
WHEN  WORKED  TO  STANDARD  SIZE. 

For  Hollow  Back  Flooring,  Ceiling  and  Drop  Siding,   Deduct 

100  Pounds. 


LONG   LEAF 
Dry 

Flooring,   13/16x2)4    2,000 

Flooring,   13/16x3)4    ....2,200 
Flooring,   13/16x5)4    ....2,400 

Ceiling,  ft   1,000 

Ceiling,  y2   .... 1,200 

Ceiling,  ft    1,500 

Ceiling,  ft    1,800 

Partition,   ft    1,900 

Siding,  from  inch  stock..  1,100 
Siding,  from  1%-inch 

stock 1,400 

Drop  Siding  to  ft 1,900 

Moulded    Casing,    4j/£    to 

5)4  .  . 2,000 

Moulded  Base,  from  8,  10, 

12-inch  stock 2,100 

Finish,  inch,  S.  1  S.  or  S. 

2  S.  to  13/16 2,600 

Finish,  \ft,  iy2  and  2- 

inch,  S.  1  S.  or  S.  2  S. 

to  Standard  Thickness. 2,800 
Finish,  1,  1)4,  iy2  and  2- 

inch,  rough   3,400 

Shipping  Dry 

Shiplap  and  D.  &  M.,  24.2,400 
Grooved  Roofing,  13/16.  .2,600 
Com.  Boards  and  Fencing 

1x4,  6,  8  or  10  inch,  S. 

1  S.  or  2  S.  to  13/16.  .2,700 


SHORT  LEAF 
Dry 

Flooring,  13/16x2)4  ....  1,800 
Flooring,  13/16x3)4  ....2,000 

Flooring,  13/16x5)4  2,200 

Ceiling,  ft  900 

Ceiling,  y2  1,100 

Ceiling,  ft  1,400 

Ceiling,  ft  1,700 

Partition,  ft  1,800 

Siding,  from  inch  stock..  1,000 
Siding,  from  1  ft  inch 

stock 1,250 

Drop  Siding,  ft  and 

Moulded  Casing 1,800 

Moulded  Base 2,000 

Finish,  inch  S.  1  S.  or  S. 

2  S 2,500 

Finish,  1)4,  iy2  and  2- 

inch,  S.  1  S.  or  S.  2  S.. 2,700 
Finish,  1,  1)4,  iy2  and  2- 

inch  rough 3,200 

Shipping   Dry 

Shiplap  and  D.  &  M.,  34.2,200 

Grooved  Roofing   2,400 

Com.  Boards  and  Fencing 
1x4,  6,  8,  10-inch,  S.  1 

S.  or  2  S.  to  13/16 2,500 

Com.   Boards,   1x12,   S.    1 
S.  or  2  S.  to  13/16 2,600 


SELLING    LUMBER 


439 


Com.  Boards,  1x12  S.  1  S. 

or  2  S.  to  13/16 2,800 

Com.  Boards  and  Fencing 

1x4,    6,   8,    or  •  10-inch, 

rough 3,400 

Com.  Boards,  1x12,  rough. 3, 500 
2x4,  2x6  and  2x8,  S.  1  S. 

1  E.  to  15/s 2,700 

2x4,  2x6  and  2x8,  rough. 3,400 
2x10  and  2x12,  S.  1  S.  1 

E.  to  15/8 2,800 

2x10  and  2x12,  rough 3,500 

Green 

2x14  and  3x12,  S.  1  S.  1  E.3,800 

2x14  and  3x12,  rough 4,500 

4x4  and  6x6,  S.  1  S.  1  E.  .3,800 

4x4  and  6x6,  rough 4,500 

6x8  and  over,  rough 4,500 

6x8  and  over,  S.  4  S 3,800 


Com.  Boards  and  Fencing 
1x4,      6,      8,       10-inch 

rough 3,300 

Com.  Boards,  1x12,  rough.3,400 
2x4,  2x6  and  2x8,  S.  1  S. 

1  E.  to  l5/8 2,500 

2x4,  2x6  and  2x8,  rough.  .3,300 
2x10  and  2x12,  S.   1  S.  1 

E.  to  15/8 2,600 

2x10  and  2x12,  rough. . .  .3,300 

Green 

2x14  and  3x12,  S.  1  S.  1  E.3,500 

2x14  and  3x12,  rough 4,200 

3x4  and  6x6,  S.  1  S.  1  E.  .3,500 

4x4  and  6x8,  rough 4,200 

8x8  and  over,  rough 4,200 


Plastering  Lath,  dry 550     Plastering  Lath,  dry 500 

Byrkit  Lath,  dry 1,800      Byrkit  Lath,  dry 1,650 

The  average  weights  shown  above  are  based  upon  test 
weights  taken  upon  large  quantities  of  each  item  listed,  of  the 
yellow  pine  lumber  manufactured  by  the  subscribers  to  the 
Southern  Pine  Association. 

NOTE — The  Grading  Rules  for  Southern  Yellow  Pine  Lumber  given 
here  are  those  for  1916.  A  copy  of  the  new  1917  rules  will  be  sent  you, 
free  of  cost,  upon  request. 

INDEX   TO   LUMBER   GRADING   RULES. 

Page 

Barn  Siding 426 

Base 425 

Bevel   Siding   .*! 425 

Boards,  Surfaced 426 

Boards,   Rough    433 

Casing 425 

Ceiling 422 


440  SELLING    LUMBER 

Dimension,   Sized    431 

Dimension,  Rough 433 

Door  Jambs   425 

Drop  Siding  423 

Fencing,  .Surfaced 429 

Fencing,   Rough    433 

Finishing,  Dressed   417 

Finishing,  Rough 432 

Flooring 420 

Flooring — Heavy 436 

Flooring,  Standard   435 

Grain,  Defective    ./. . . .  .414 

General   Instructions    412 

Grooved  Roofing 427 

Joists — Heavy 431 

Knots 412 

Lath,  Byrkit 434 

Lath,  Plastering   437 

Partition 425 

Partition,  Standard  Working   435 

Pickets 437 

Pitch 413 

Miscellaneous 415 

Mouldings 426 

Sap 414 

Shiplap 426 

Standard  Sizes   434,  435, 436,  437  and  438 

Timbers  (See  Separate  Book  of  Rules).  I  -•'• 

Wagon  Bottoms   423 

Wane 414 

Window  Jambs   ,  . .  425 


SELLINGLUMBER  441 

Standard  Specifications  for  Southern 

Yellow  Pine  Bridge  and 

Trestle  Timbers 

(To  be  applied  to  Single  Sticks  and  not  to  Composite  Members) 

For  Use  in  Railway  Structures 

The  use  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  for  bridge  and  trestle 
timbers  in  railroad  work  requires  high  grade  pieces  of  timber 
both  as  to  strength  and  lasting  'power.  Recognizing  these 
facts,  a  special  set  of  standard  specifications  has  been  adopted 
by  the.  Southern  Pine  Association.  The  specifications  as  to 
the  quality  of  the  timber  are  according  to  the  Standard  Speci- 
fications adopted  and  copyrighted  by  the  American  Society 
for  Testing  Materials  defining  dense  and  sound  pine.f  These 
terms  replace  the  botanical  designation  hitherto  used,  that  is, 
longleaf,  shortleaf  and  loblolly  pine.  The  grade  "dense"  pine 
refers  to  the  strongest  pieces  of  what  has  hitherto  been  known 
as  longleaf  pine. 

The  specifications  as  to  grades  are  the  Standard  Specifi- 
cations for  Southern  Yellow  Pine  bridge"  and  trestle  timbers 
adopted  and  published  in  the  Manual  by  the  American  Railway 
Engineering  Association  (reprinted  by  permission  of  the  Ameri- 
can Railway  Engineering  Association  from,  the  Manual,  1916). 
The  only  change  which  has  been  made  in  the  reprint  of  the 
American  Railway  Engineering  Association  rules  is  that  "dense" 
pine  has  been  substituted  for  longleaf  pine  and  "sound"  pine 
for  shortleaf  pine. 

BRANDED  TIMBERS. 

Proper  service  to  buyers  and  users  of  yellow  pine  timber 
demands  correct  grading,  and  the  branding  or  marking  of 
each  stick  of  timber  showing  its  grade. 

Variation  in  the  individual  character  of  different  pieces  of 
timber  is  responsible  for  the  difference  in  strength.  Structurally, 
some  are  much  stronger  than  others. 

fAdopted  and  copyrighted  by  the  American  Society  for 
Testing  Materials,  August,  1915. 


442  SELLING    LUMBER 

Owing  to  the  confusion  which  frequently  results  in  the 
proper  classifying  of  timbers  into  longleaf,  shortleaf,  lob- 
lolly, etc.,  a  new  rule  has  been  devised  and  recently  adopted 
by  the  American  Society  for  Testing  Materials,  and  known 
among  the  trade  as  the  "Density  Rule,"  which  classifies  all  South- 
ern Pine  timbers,  irrespective  of  botanical  species,  into  two 
classes ;  namely,  "Dense  Southern  Yellow  Pine"  and  "Sound 
Southern  Yellow  Pine." 

Details  and  description  of  these  designations  will  be  found 
in  the  following  pages. 

The  Southern  Pine  Association  recommends  that  all  tim- 
bers be  branded.  All  manufacturers  and  dealers  are  invited 
to  brand  their  timber  in  accordance  with  the  grades  and  classi- 
fications contained  in  this  book. 

SOUTHERN    PINE   ASSOCIATION. 
New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  U.  S.  A.,  March  15,  1916. 

DEFINITION  FOR  SOUTHERN  YELLOW  PINE. 

(Adopted  and  Copyrighted  by  the  American  Society  for  Test- 
ing Materials,  August,  1915.) 

SOUTHERN  YELLOW  PINE.— This  term  includes  the 
species  of  yellow  pine  growing  in  the  Southern  States  from 
Virginia  to  Texas,  that  is,  the  pines  hitherto  known  as  longleaf 
pine  (Pinus  palustris),  shortleaf  pine  (Pinus  echinata),  loblolly 
pine  (Pinus  t&eda),  Cuban  pine  (Pinus  heterophylla)  and  pond 
pine  (Pinus  serotina). 

Under  this  heading  two  classes  of  timber  are  designated: 
(a)  Dense  Southern  Yellow  Pine  and  (b)  sound  Southern  Yel- 
low Pine.  It  is  understood  that  these  two  terms  are  descrip- 
tive of  quality  rather  than  of  botanical  species. 

(a)  Dense  Southern  Yellow  Pine  shall  show  on  either  end 
an  average  of  at  least  six  annual  rings  per  inch  and  at  least 
one-third  summer  wood,  or  else  the  greater  number  of  the  rings 
shall  show  at  least  one-third  summer  wood,  all  as  measured 
over  the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  inches  of  a  radial  line  from  the 
pith.  Wide-ringed  material  excluded  by  this  rule  will  be  ac- 
ceptable, provided  that  the  amount  of  summer  wood  as  above 
measured  shall  be  at  least  one-half. 


SELLINGLUMBER  443 

,.  The  contrast  in  color  between  summer  wood -and  spring 
wood  shall  be  sharp  and  the  summer  wood  shall  be  dark  in 
color,  except  in  pieces  having  considerably  above  the  minimum 
requirement  for  summer  wood. 

In  cases  where  timbers  do  not  contain  the  pith,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  locate  it  with  any  degree  of  accuracy,  the  same 
inspection  shall  be  made  over  3  inches  on  an  approximate  radial 
line  beginning  at  the  edge  nearest  the  pith  in  timbers  over  3 
inches  in  thickness  and  on  the  second  inch  (on  the  piece)  near- 
est to  the  pith  in  timbers  3  inches  or  less  in  thickness. 

In  dimension  material  containing  the  pith  but  not  a  5-inch 
radial  line,  which  is  less  than  2x8  inches  in  section  or  less  than 
8  inches  in  width,  that  does  not  show  over  16  square  inches  on 
the  cross-section,  the  inspection  shall  apply  to  the  second  inch 
from  the  pith.  In  larger  material  that  does  not  show  a  5-inch 
radial  line  the  inspection  shall  apply  to  the  three  inches  farthest 
from  the  pith. 

The  radial  line  chosen  shall  be  representative.  In  case  of 
disagreement  between  purchaser  and  seller  the  average  sum- 
mer wood  and  number  of  rings  shall  be  the  average  of  the 
two  radial  lines  chosen. 

(b)  Sound  Southern  Yellow  Pine  shall  include  pieces  of 
Southern  pine  without  any  ring  or  summer  wood  requirement. 

STANDARD   SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  SOUTHERN   YEL- 
LOW PINE  BRIDGE  AND  TRESTLE  TIMBERS.*  f 
(To  Be  Applied  to  Single  Sticks  and  Not  to  Composite 

Members). 

General  Requirements. 

1.  Except  as  noted,  all  timber  shall  be  sound,  sawed  to 
standard  size,  square  cornered  and  straight;  close  grained  and 
free  from  defects  such  as  injurious  ring  shakes  and  cross  grain, 

*Adopted,  Vol.  10,  Part  1,  1909,  pp.  537,  539-541,  598-603; 
Vol.  11,  1910,  Part  1,  pp.  176,  180,  181,  228-230.  Proc.  Am.  Ry. 
Eng.  Ass. 

fThese  specifications  are  reprinted  from  the  Manual  of 
the  American  Railway  Engineering  Association  with  permis- 
sion. The  terms  "Longleaf '  and  "Shortleaf"  have  been  changed 
to  read  "Dense"  and  "Sound,"  respectively. 


444  SELLING     LUMBER 

unsound  or  loose  knots,  knots  in  groups,  decay,  or  other  de- 
fects that  will  materially  impair  its  strength. 

Standard  Size. 

2.  "Rough   timber   sawed   to   standard   size"    means   that 
they  shall  not  be  over  %-inch  scant  from  the  actual  size  speci- 
fied.    For  instance,  a  12xl2-inch  timber  shall  measure*  not  less 
than  1124x1124  inches. 

Standard  Dressing. 

3.  "Standard  Dressing"  means  that  not  more  than  ^-inch 
shall   be   allowed   for   dressing   each   surface.      For   instance,   a 
12xl2-inch  timber,  after  being  dressed  on  four  sides,  shall  meas- 
ure not  less  than   11^x11 1/2  inches. 

STANDARD  HEART  GRADE,  DENSE  PINE. 
Stringers. 

4.  Stringers   shall   show  not  less  than  85   per  cent   heart 
on  the  girth   anywhere  in   the  length   of  the  piece ;   provided, 
however,  that  if  the  maximum  amount  of  sap  is  shown  on  either 
narrow  face  of  the  stringer,  the  average  depth  of  sap  shall  not 
exceed  one-half  inch.     Knots  greater  than  1  ^2-inch  in  diameter 
will  not  be  permitted  at  any  section  within  4  inches  of  the  edge 
of  the  piece,  but  knots  shall  in  no  case  exceed  4  inches  in  their 
largest  diameter. 

Caps  and  Sills. 

5.  Caps   and   sills   shall   show   not   less   than   85   per   cent 
heart  on  each  of  the  four  sides,  measured  across  the  sides  any- 
where in  the  length  of  the  piece,  and  shall  be  free  from  knots 
over  2y2  inches  in  diameter. 

Posts. 

6.  Posts  shall  show  not  less  than  75   per  cent  heart  on 
each  of  the  four  sides,  measured  across  the  sides  anywhere  in 
the  length  of  the  piece,  and  shall  be  free  from  knots  over  2*/2 
inches  in  diameter. 

Longitudinal  Struts  and  Girts. 

7.  Longitudinal  Struts  and  Girts  shall  be  square  cornered 
and  sound.     One  side  shall  show  all  heart;  the  other  side  shall 
show  not  less  than  85  per  cent  heart,  measured  across  the  side 
anywhere  in  the  length  of  the  piece,  and  shall  be  free  from  any 


SELLING    LUMBER  445 

large  knots  or  other   defects  that   will  materially  injure  their 
strength. 

Longitudinal   X   Braces,   Sash   and   Sway   Braces. 

8.  Longitudinal  X  Braces,  Sash  Braces  and  Sway  Braces 
shall  be  square  cornered  and  sound ;  shall  show  not  less  than 
80  per  cent  heart  on  each  of  the  two  sides,  and  shall  be  free 
from  any  large  knots  or  other  defects  that  will  materially  in- 
jure their  strength. 

Ties  and  Guard  Rails. 

9.  Ties  and  Guard  Rails  shall  show  one  side  all  heart;  the 
other  side  and  two  edges  shall  show  not  less  than  75  per  cent 
heart,  measured  across  the  surface  anywhere  in  the  length  of 
the  piece;  shall  be  free  from  any  large  knots  or  other  defects 
that  will  materially  injure  their  strength,  and  where  surfaced 
the  remaining  rough  face  shall  show  all  heart. 

STANDARD  GRADE,  DENSE  AND  .SOUND  YELLOW 

PINE. 

Stringers. 

10.  Stringers  shall  be  square  cornered,  with  the  exception 
of  1-inch  wane  on  one  corner  or  ^2-inch  wane  on  two  corners. 
Knots  shall  not  exceed  in  their  largest  diameter  one-fourth  of 
the  width  of  the  surface  of  the  stick  in  which  they  occur,  and 
shall  in  no  case  exceed  4  inches.     Ring  shakes  shall  not  extend 
over  one-eighth  of  the  length  of  the  piece. 

Caps  and  Sills. 

11.  Caps  and  Sills 'shall  be  square  cornered,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  1-inch  wane  on  one  corner,  or  J/2-inch  wane  on  two 
corners.     Knots  shall  not  exceed  in  their  largest  diameter  one- 
fourth  of  the  width  of  the  surface  of  the  stick  in  which  they 
occur,  and  in  no  case  shall  exceed  4  inches.     Ring  shakes  shall 
not  extend  over  one-eighth  of  the  length  of  the  piece. 

Posts. 

12.  Posts  shall  be  square  cornered,  with  the  exception  of 
1-inch  wane  on  one  corner,  or  ^-inch  wane  on  two  corners. 
Knots   shall   not   exceed,   in   their  largest   diameter,   one-fourth 
of  the  width  of  the  surface  of  the  stick  in  which  they  occur, 
and  shall  in  no  case  exceed  4  inches.     Ring  shakes  shall  not 
extend  over  one-eighth  of  the  length  of  the  piece. 


446  SELLING     LUMBER 

EXPLANATORY  NOTE  FOR  STANDARD  HEART 

GRADE. 

These  specifications  state  the  maximum  limit  of  sapwood 
which  will  be  accepted.  In  practice,  with  good  inspection,  the 
effect  of  these  specifications  should  be  to  secure  timber  the 
bulk  of  which  is  practically  all  heart.  In  permanent  bridge 
timber,  not  protected  from  decay,  sapwood  is  not  only  useless 
in  itself,  but  by  furnishing  a  lodgment  for  the  spores  of  fungi, 
it  is  the  cause  of  starting  and  promoting  the  continuance  of 
rot  in  the  heart.  Sapwood,  especially  after  decay  has  set  in, 
is  also  extremely  susceptible  to  fire,  while  with  precautions 
ordinarily  exercised  heartwood  is  practically  immune  from  this 
source  of  danger. 

On  the  other  hand,  for  ordinary  commercial  purposes  sap- 
wood  is  as  valuable  as  heart.  Therefore,  if  the  mill  owners 
understand  what  is  wanted,  good  heart  timber  can  be  obtained 
for  a  small  advance  in  price  over  what  is  usually  furnished, 
much  of  which  contains  in  bulk  50  per  cent  or  more  of  sap- 
wood. 

To  obtain  proper  results  inspection  should  be  made  at  the 
mills,  where  unsatisfactory  timber  can  be  rejected  without  hard- 
ship to  the  mill  owner.  Extensive  buyers  of  timber  should 
have  inspectors  stationed  at  the  mills.  To  cover  the  nee'ds  of 
smaller  buyers  and  municipalities,  it  seems  that  some  of  the 
established  inspection  companies  might  maintain  an  organiza- 
tion of  timber  inspectors  at  the  mills,  which  would  prove  profit- 
able to  themselves,  satisfactory  to  the.  mill  owners  and  of  in- 
calculable benefit  to  those  who  use  the  timber. 


SELLING    LUMBER  447 

Southern  Yellow  Pine  Car  Material 
Specifications 

Recommended  Practice  of  the  Master  Car  Builders' 

Association,  and  American  Railway  Master 

Mechanics'  Association 

Adopted  and  Reprinted  by  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  New  Orleans,  La. 
January,  1,  1916 

CLASSIFICATION,   GRADING  AND    DRESSING  RULES 
FOR  SOUTHERN  YELLOW  PINE  CAR  MATERIAL. 

1.  Classification,  Grading  and  Dressing  Rules  for  South- 
ern Yellow  Pine  Car  Lumber,  adopted  as  recommended  prac- 
tice by  the  Master  Car  Builders  and  American  Railway  Master 
Mechanics'  Associations,  Atlantic  City,  June  15-22,  1910;  adopt- 
ed at  Chicago,  111.,  by  the  Yellow  Pine  Manufacturers'  Associa- 
tion, July  19  and  20,  1910;  and  adopted  and  ordered  reprinted 
by  the  Grading  Committee  of  the  Southern  Pine  Association, 
November  23,  1915. 

2.  SOUTHERN    YELLOW   PINE   LUMBER   to   cover 
long  leaf  and   short  leaf  Yellow   Pine  grown  in  the   Southern 
States  shall  be  graded  and  classified  according  to  the  following 
rules  and  specifications  as  to  quality,  and  dressed  stock  shall 
conform  to  the  subjoined  table  of  standard  sizes,  except  where 
otherwise  expressly  stipulated  between  buyer  and  seller. 

3.  Recognized  defects  in  Southern.  Yellow  Pine  are  knots, 
knot  holes,  splits  (either  from  seasoning,  ring  hearts  or  rough 
handling),  shake,  wane,  red  heart,  pith,  rot,  rotten  streaks,  dote, 
worm   holes,  pitch  streaks,  pitch  pockets,  torn  grain,  loosened 
grain,  seasoning  or  kiln  checks,  sap  stains  and  imperfect  manu- 
facture. 

KNOTS. 

4.  Knots  shall  be  classified  as  pin,  standard  and  large,  as 
to  size ;  and  round  and  spike,  as  to  form ;  and  as  sound,  loose, 
encased,  pith  and  unsound,  as  to  quality. 

5.  A  pin  knot  is  sound  and  not  over  ^-inch  in  diameter. 
(See  page  448). 


448 


SELLING     LUMBER 


6.  A  standard  knot  is  sound  and  not  over   \y2  inches  in 
diameter.     (See  page  449). 

7.  A  large  knot  is  one  any  size  over  \y2  inches  in  diame- 
ter.    (See  page  450). 

8.  A  round  knot  is  oval  or  circular  in  form. 


PIN  KNOT. 

9.     A  spike  knot  is  one  sawn  in  a  lengthwise  direction.     (See 
page  451). 

The  mean  or  average  diameter   of  knots   shall   be   consid- 
ered in  applying  and  construing  these  rules. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


449 


10.  A  sound  knot  is  one  solid  across  its  face,  is  as  hard 
as  the  wood  it  is  in,  and  is  so  fixed  by  growth  or  position  that 
it  will  retain  its  place  in  the  piece. 

11.  A  loose  knot  is  one  not  held  firmly  in  place  by  growth 
or  position.     (See  page  452). 


STANDARD  KNOT. 


12.  A  pith  knot  is  a  sound  knot  with  a  pith  hole  not  more 
than  *4-inch  in  diameter.     (See  page  453). 

13.  An  encased  knot  is  one  surrounded  wholly  or  in  part 
by  bark  or  pitch.   Where  the  encasement  is  less  than  one-eighth 


450 


SELLING    LUMBER 


of  an  inch  in  width  on  both  sides,  not  exceeding1  one-half  the 
circumference  of  the  knot,  it  shall  be  considered  a  sound  knot. 
(See  Sees.  10  and  17).  (See  page  454). 

14.     An  unsound  knot  is  one  not  as  hard  as  the  wood  it 
is  in.     (See  page  455). 


LARGE   KNOT. 

PITCH. 

15.  Pitch  pockets  are  openings  between  the  grain  of  the 
wood  containing  more  or  less  pitch  or  bark,  and  shall  be  classi- 
fied as  small,  standard  and  large  pitch  pockets. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


451 


16.  A  small  pitch  pocket  is  one  not  over  one-eighth  of  an 
inch  wide. 

A  standard  pitch  pocket  is  one  not  over  three-eighths  of 
an  inch  wide  or  3  inches  in  length. 


SPIKE   KNOT. 

A  large  pitch  pocket  is  one  over  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
wide,  or  over  3  inches  in  length. 

17.  A  pitch  pocket  showing  open  on  both  sides  of  the 
piece  one-eighth  of  an  inch  or  more  in  width  shall  be  considered 
the  same  as  a  knot  hole. 


452 


SELLING     LUMBER 


18.  A  pitch  streak  is  a  well-defined  accumulation  of  pitch 
at  one  point  in  the  piece,  and  when  not  sufficient  to  develop  a 
well-defined  streak,  or  where  fiber  between  grains  is  not  satur- 
ated with  pitch,  it  shall  not  be  considered  a  defect.  (See 
page  456). 


LOOSE   KNOT. 


19.     A  small  pitch  streak  shall  be  equivalent  to  not  over 
one-twelfth  the  width  and  one-sixth  the  length  of  the  piece  it 


is  in. 


SELLING    LUMBER 


453 


A  standard  pitch  streak  shall  be  equivalent  to  not  over  one- 
sixth  the  width  and  one-third  of  the  length  of  the  piece  it  is  in. 

WANE. 

20.  Wane  is  bark,  or  the  lack  of  wood,  from  any  cause,  on 
the  edge. 


PITH  KNOT. 

SAP. 

21.  Bright  Sap  shall  not  be  considered  a  defect  in  any  of 
the  grades  provided  for  and  described  in  these  rules,  except 
where  stipulated. 


454 


SELLING     LUMBER 


SHAKE. 

22.  Shakes  are  splits  or  checks  in  timbers  which  usually 
cause  a  separation  of  the  wood  between  annual  rings. 

Through  Shake — A  shake  which  extends  between  two  faces 
of  a  timber. 


ENCASED  KNOT. 
Ring,  Shakes — An  opening  between  the  annual  rings. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

23.  Defects  in  rough  stock  caused  by  improper  manufac- 
ture and  drying  will  reduce  grade,  unless  they  can  be  removed 
by  dressing  such  stock  to  standard  sizes. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


455 


24.  All  stock  except  car  sills  and  framing  shall  be  inspect- 
ed on  the  face  side  to  determine  the  grade.  In  stock  surfaced 
one  side,  the  dressed  surface  shall  be  considered  the  face  side. 
In  stock  rough  or  dressed  two  sides,  the  best  side  shall  be  con- 
sidered the  face,  but  the  reverse  side  of  all  such  stock  shall 
not  be  more  than  one  grade  lower. 


UNSOUND  KNOT. 

25.  Pieces  of  siding,  lining  or  roofing  with  3/16-inch  or 
more  of  tongue  will  be  admitted  in  any  grade,  provided  it  does 
not  run  more  than  one-third  the  length  of  the  piece. 

26.  In  all  grades  lower  than  "B  and  Better,"  wane  on  the 
reverse  side,  not  exceeding  one-third  the  width  and  one-sixth 


456 


SELLING    LUMBER 


the  length  of  any  piece,  is  admissible,  provided  the  wane  does 
not  extend  into  the  tongue,  or  over  one-half  the  thickness  be- 
low the  groove. 

27.     Chipped  Grain  consists  in  a  part  of  the  surface  being 
chipped  or  broken  out  in  small  particles  below  the  line  of  the 


PITCH  STREAK. 

cut,  and  as  usually  found  shall  not  be  classed  as  torn  grain 
and  shall  not  be  considered  a  defect. 

28.  Torn  Grain  consists  in  a  part  of  the  wood  being  torn 
out  in  dressing.  It  occurs  around  knots  and  curly  places,  and 
is  of  four  distinct  characters — slight,  medium,  heavy  and  deep. 

Slightly   torn   grain   shall   not   exceed    1/32  of  an   inch  in 


SELLING    LUMBER  457 

depth;  medium,   1/16  of  an  inch;   heavy,    l/&   of  an   inch;  any 
torn  grain  heavier  than  l/%  of  an  inch  shall  be  termed  deep. 

29.  Loosened  Grain  consists  in  a  point  of  one  grain  being 
torn  loose  from  the  next  grain.     It  occurrs  on  the  heart  side 
of  the  piece  and  is  a  serious  defect,  especially  in  flooring. 

30.  Rot,  Dote  and  Red  Heart — Any  form  of  decay  which 
may  be  evident  either  as  a  dark-red  discoloration  not  found  in 
the  sound  wood,  or  the  presence  of  white  or  red  rotten  spots, 
shall  be  considered  as  a  defect. 

Firm  red  heart  shall  not  be  considered  a  defect  in  any  of 
the  grades  of  Common  Lumber. 

31.  The  grade  of  all  regular  stock  shall  be  determined  by 
the   number,   character  and  position   of   defects   visible  in   any 
piece.     The  enumerated  defects  herein  described  admissible  in 
any  grade  are  intended  to  be  descriptive  of  the  coarsest  pieces 
such  grades  may  contain,  but  the  average  quality  of  the  grade 
shall  be  midway  between  the  highest  and  lowest  pieces  allowed 
in  the  grade. 

32.  Lumber  and  timber  sawed  for  specific  purposes  must 
be  inspected  with  a  view  to  its  adaptability  for  the  use  intended. 

33.  All  dressed  stock  shall  be  measured  strip  count,  viz. : 
Full  size  of  rough  material  necessarily  used  in  its  manufacture. 

34.  "Equivalent"  means  equal,  and  in  construing  and  ap- 
plying these  rules  the  defects,  whether  specified  or  not,  are  un- 
derstood to  be  equivalent  in  damaging  effect  to  those  mentioned 
applying  to  stock  under  consideration. 

35.  Lumber  must  be  accepted  on  grade  in  the  form  in 
which  it  is  shipped.     Any  subsequent  change  in  manufacture 
or  mill  work  will  prohibit  an  inspection  for  the  adjustment  of 
claims,  except  with  the  consent  of  all  parties  interested. 

36.  The  foregoing  general  observations  shall  apply  to  and 
govern  the  application  of  the  following  rules : 

37.  B   AND    BETTER   CAR   SIDING,   LINING   AND 
ROOFING  will  admit  any  two  of  the  following,  or  their  equiva- 
lent of  combined  defects:     Sap  stain  not  to  exceed  5  per  cent; 
firm  red  heart  not  to  exceed  15  per  cent  of  the  face;  three  pin 
knots,  one  standard  knot,  three  small  pitch  pockets,  one  stand- 
ard pitch  pocket,  one  standard  pitch  streak,  slight  torn  grain, 
or  small  kiln  or  season  checks.     Where  no  other  defects  are 
contained,  six  small  pin  worm  holes  will  be  admitted. 


458  SELLING    LUMBER 

38.  SELECT  CAR  SIDING  will  admit  of  one  standard 
pitch  streak,  one  standard  pitch  pocket,  or  their  equivalent;  and 
in   addition,   will   admit   of   not   exceeding   five   pin^  knots   and 
two  standard  knots,  or  their  equivalent;  10  per  cent  sap  stain; 
firm  red  heart,  slight  shake,  heavy  torn  grain,  defects  in  manu- 
facture  or   seasoning   checks.      Pieces   otherwise   good   enough 
for  "B,"  but  containing  a  limited  number  of  pin  worm  holes 
shall  be  graded  "Select."    This  grade  is  intended  to  be  accumu- 
lated from  running  "B  and  Better"  stock,  and  will  consist  of 
all  the   droppings  which   do   not   contain   defects   in   excess   of 
those  mentioned  in  this  paragraph. 

39.  No.   1   COMMON   CAR   SIDING   will   admit   of  the 
following  defects  or  their  equivalent:     Sound  knots,  not  over 
one-half  of  cross-section  of  the  piece  at  any  point  throughout 
its  width ;  three  pith  knots  or  their  equivalent ;  wane  >^   inch 
deep  on  edge  not  exceeding  \y2  inches  wide  and  one-half  the 
length  of  the  piece;  torn  grain,  pitch  pockets,  pitch,  sap  stain, 
seasoning  checks,  slight  shakes,  firm  red  heart  and  a  limited 
number  of  small  worm  holes  well  scattered.     This  grade  is  in- 
tended to  be  worked  from  Fencing  stock,  either  kiln  or  air  dried. 

40.  SELECT  CAR  LINING  AND  ROOFING  will  admit 
of  one   standard   pitch   streak;   one   standard   pitch    pocket,   or 
their  equivalent;  and,  in  addition,  sound  knots  not  over  one- 
half  the  width  of  the  piece  in  the  rough ;  10  per  cent  sap  stain ; 
firm  red  heart,  slight  shakes,  heavy  torn  grain ;  defects  in  manu- 
facture  or   seasoning  checks.      Pieces   otherwise   good   enough 
for  "B,"  but  containing  a  limited  number  of  pin  worm  holes  shall 
be  graded  "Select."    This  grade  is  intended  to  be  accumulated 
from  running  "B  and  Better"  stock,  and  will  consist  of  all  the 
droppings  which  do  not  contain  defects  in  excess  of  those  men- 
tioned in  this  paragraph. 

41.  No.  1  COMMON  CAR  LINING  AND  ROOFING  will 
admit  of  the  following  defects  or  their  equivalent  r   Sound  knots 
not  over  one-half  the  cross-section  of  the  piece   at  any  point 
throughout  its  length;  three   pith   knots   or  their   equivalents, 
torn  grain,  pitch  pockets,  sap  stains,  seasoning  checks,  firm  red 
heart,  and  a  limited  number  of  pin  or  small  worm  holes  well 
scattered.     This  grade  is  intended  to  be  worked  from  Fencing 
stock,  either  kiln  or  air  dried. 


SELLINGLUMBER  459 

42.  STANDARD  PATTERNS.     (See  pages  469  and  470, 
showing  net  sizes  after  working.) 

43.  ALL-HEART  CAR  DECKING  OR  FLOORING  will 
admit  sound  knots  not  over  one-third  of  the  cross-section  of  the 
piece  at  any  point  throughout  its  length,  provided  they  are  not 
in  groups;  pitch  pockets;  firm  red  heart,  shake  and  seasoning 
checks  which  do  not  go  through  the  piece,  loose  or  heavy  torn 
grain,  or  other  machine  defects,  which  will  lay  without  waste 
or  will  not  cause  a  leakage  in   cars  when   loaded  with  grain. 
Must  be  strictly  all  heart  on  both  sides  and  both  edges. 

44.  HEART  FACE  CAR  DECKING  OR  FLOORING 
will  admit  of  sound  knots  not  over  one-third  the  cross-section 
of  the  piece  at  any  point  throughout  its  length,  provided  they 
are  not  in  groups ;  pitch  pockets,  firm  red  heart,  shake  and  sea- 
soning checks  which  do  not  go  through  the  piece,  loosened  or 
heavy  torn  grain,  or  other  machine  defects,  which  will  lay  with- 
out waste,  or  will  not  cause  a  leakage  in  cars  when  loaded  with 
grain.    Will  admit  of  any  amount  of  sap  provided  all  of  the  face 
side  of  the  piece  is  strictly  ALL  HEART. 

45.  No.  1  COMMON  CAR  DECKING  OR  FLOORING 
will  admit  of  sound  knots  not  over  one-half  the  cross-section 
of  the  piece  at  any  point  throughout  its  length,  provided  they 
are   not  in   groups;   pitch   pockets,   sap   stain,   firm   red   heart, 
shake  and  seasoning  checks  which  do  not  go  through  the  piece, 
a  limited  number  of  pin  worm  holes,  loosened  or  heavy  torn 
grain,  or  other  machine  defects,  which  will  lay  without  waste, 
or  will  not  cause  a  leakage  in  cars  when  loaded  with  gram. 

CAR  SILLS  AND  FRAMING. 

46.  No.  1  COMMON  HEART  CAR  SILLS  AND  FRAM- 
ING will  admit  of  sound  knots,  provided  they  are  not  in  groups, 
the   mean   or  average   diameter   of   which   shall   not   exceed   2 
inches,  pitch,  pitch  pockets,  slight  shake,  seasoning  checks,  or 
other  defects  which  will  not  impair  its  strength  more  than  the 
defects  aforementioned.     Must  be   sawed   from   sound   timber, 
free  from  dote  or  rotten  red  heart,  and  true  to  measurements, 
or  at  least  the  measurements  at  no  point  on  the  sill  shall  be 
less  than  the  size  required. 

Measurement  of  the  girth  at    any    point    throughout    the 
length  of  the  piece  must  show  at  least  75  per  cent  heartwood. 


460  SELLING    LUMBER 

Cubical  contents  shall  not  be  used  as  basis  for  obtaining  per- 
centage of  heartwood  under  this  rule. 

47.  No.  1  COMMON  CAR  SILLS  AND  FRAMING  will 
admit  of  sound  knots,   provided  they   are   not   in   groups,   the 
mean  or  average  diameter  of  which  shall  not  exceed  2  inches, 
pitch,  pitch  pockets,  slight  shake,  seasoning  checks,   sap,   sap 
stain  or  other  defects  which  will  not  impair'  its  strength  more 
than  the  defects  aforementioned.     Must  be  sawed  true  to  meas- 
urements and  from  sound  timber  free  from  dote  or  rotten  red 
heart;  must  be  square  cornered,   except   that   1   inch   of  wane 
on  one  corner  or  ^  inch  of  wane  on  two  corners  is  admissible. 

48.  SIZES  up   to  6  inches   in   width   shall   measure  full 
when  green,  and  not  more  than  */£-inch  scant  when  dry  or  part 
dry.     Sizes  6  to   12  inches  in  width  shall  measure   full  when 
green  and  not  more  than  J4~mcn  scant  when  dry  or  part  dry. 
Sizes  12  to  16  inches  in  width  shall  measure  full  when  green 
and  not  more  than  %-inch  scant  when  dry  or  part  dry.     Un- 
less otherwise  specified,  one-fourth   inch  shall   be  allowed  for 
each  side  which  is  to  be  dressed.     In  pieces  3  by  6  inches  and 
under  when  ordered  in  lengths  exceeding  30  feet,  sound  knots 
shall  not  exceed  one-quarter  the  width  of  the  face  through  which 
they  project,  and  the  grains  shall  not  cross  sufficiently  to  impair 
the  strength. 

STANDARD  LENGTHS. 
CAR  SIDING— 8,  9,  10  and  12  feet  or  multiples. 

CAR  LINING— 8,  9,  10,  12,  14,  16,  18  and  20  feet  or  mul- 
tiples. 

CAR  ROOFING— 5  feet  or  multiples. 

CAR  DECKING  OR  FLOORING— 9  and  10  feet  or  mul- 
tiples. 

All  orders  shall  be  shipped  in  standard  lengths  unless  other- 
wise specified,  but  no  lengths  of  either  car  siding,  lining  or 
roofing  shall  be  shipped,  except  in  the  lengths  specified  or  mul- 
tiples thereof.  When  stock  is  not  desired  in  multiple  lengths, 
order  should  so  specify. 


SELLINGLUMBER  461 

Southern  Yellow  Pine  Timbers 

Including  Definition  of  the  "Density  Rule" 

Authorized  Reprint  from  the  Copyrighted  Standards  of  the 
American  Society  for  Testing  Materials 

Approved  and  Adopted  by  the  Southern  Pine  Association,  New  Orleans,  La. 

March  15,  1916 

SOUTHERN  YELLOW  PINE  TIMBER  GRADES. 

The  grades  of  timbers  are  as  follows: 

*  Page 

Heart  Timbers ; 465 

No.  1  Common  Timbers  465 

Square  Edge  and  Sound  Timbers 466 

Merchantable   Timbers    466 

Select  Structural  Material 467 

PREFACE. 

It  has  been  recognized  for  a  good  many  years  by  both 
the  manufacturers  and  consumers  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine 
that  a  constructive  and  simple  method  for  classifying  various 
classes  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  for  structural  purposes  would 
find  wide  application  and  fill  a  long  required  need.  The  three 
botanical  species  of  yellow  pine,  namely,  long  leaf,  short  leaf 
and  loblolly,  frequently  intergrade,  so  far  as  their  density  is 
concerned,  and  much  misunderstanding  has  resulted  from  time 
to  time  because  of  the  lack  of  a  practical  method  for  determin- 
ing whether  any  particular  class  of  yellow  pine  was  adapted 
for  the  purpose  intended.  Realizing  this  condition,  the  South- 
ern Pine  Association  has  actively  co-operated  with  the  United 
States  Forest  Service  and  the  American  Society  for  Testing  Ma- 
terials for  the  purpose  of  finding  some  such  method  for  dis- 
tinguishing the  various  classes  of  pine  for  structural  purposes. 
The  American  Society  for  Testing  Materials  made  a  preliminary 
suggestion  for  grading  the  Southern  pines  in  their  report  for 
1909.  The  rule  proposed  was  based  on  the  number  of  rings 
per  inch.  This  rule  was  widely  used,  but  was  found  too  indefi- 
nite for  final  adoption. 

As  a  result  of  careful  study  of  many  trees  of  all  species 
a  method  has  been  devised  during  the  past  year  by  the  United 


462  SELLINGLUMBER 

States  Forest  Service,  which  was  adopted  by  the  Southern  Pine 
Association  in  January,  1915,  and  which  was  presented  in  detail 
to  the  American  Society  for  Testing  Materials,  at  their  annual 
convention  and  subsequently  adopted  by  the  society  as  stand- 
ard in  August,  1915. 

Based  on  this  new  density  rule,  a  new  classification  for 
structural  yellow  pine  timbers  has  been  established  which  elimi- 
nates the  names  "long  leaf,"  "short  leaf"  and  "loblolly"  pines. 
The  new  rule  provided  two  classes :  Dense  Southern  Yellow 
Pine  and  Sound  Southern  Yellow  Pine.  Dense  Southern  Yel- 
low Pine  includes  the  best  pieces  of  what  has  hitherto  been 
known  as  long  leaf  pine,  and  excludes  the  occasional  pieces  of 
inferior  quality,  for  structural  purposes.  It  also  includes  those 
pieces  of  short  leaf  pine,  Cuban  pine  and  loblolly  pines,  which, 
because  of  their  density  and  high  percentage  of  summer  wood, 
are  equal  in  strength  to  long  leaf  pine,  as  shown  from  numer- 
ous tests  by  the  United  States  Forest  Service  and  many  other 
well  known  authorities. 

In  the  following  pages  will  be  found  reprinted  the  designa- 
tion for  Southern  Yellow  Pine  as  adopted  by  the  American 
Society  for  Testing  Materials,  August  21,  1915,  also  the  specifi- 
cations for  the  various  grades  of  timbers  as  offered  by  the 
manufacturers  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine  who  are  subscribers 
to  the 

SOUTHERN  PINE  ASSOCIATION. 

New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  U.  S.  A. 

March  15,  1916. 

DEFINITION   FOR   SOUTHERN   YELLOW   PINE. 

(Authorised  reprint  from  the  copyrighted  Standards  of  The 
American  Society  for  Testing  Materials,  Philadelphia,  Pa.) 

SOUTHERN  YELLOW  PINE.— This  term  includes  the 
species  of  yellow  pine  growing  in  the  Southern  States  from 
Virginia  to  Texas,  that  is,  the  pines  hitherto  known  as  long 
leaf  pine  (Pinus  palustris),  short  leaf  pine  (Pinus  echinata), 
loblolly  pine  (Pinus  taeda),  Cuban  pine  (Pinus  heterophylla) 
and  pond  pine  (Pinus  serotina). 

Under  this  heading  two  classes  of  timber  are  designated: 
(a)  dense  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  and  (b)  sound  Southern  Yel- 


SELLINGLUMBER  463 

low  Pine.     It  is  understood  that  these  two  terms  are  descrip- 
tive of  quality  rather  than  of  botanical  species. 

(a)  Dense  Southern  Yellow  Pine  shall  show  on  either  end 
an  average  of  at  least  six  annual  rings  per  inch  and  at  least 
one-third  summer  wood,  or  else  the  greater  number  of  the  rings 
shall   show  at  least  one-third   summer  wood,   all   as  measured 
over  the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  inches  of  a  radial  line  from  the 
pith.     Wide-ringed  material  excluded  by  this  rule  will  be  ac- 
ceptable, provided  that  the  amount  of  summer  wood  as  above 
measured  shall  be  at  least  one-half. 

The  contrast  in  color  between  summer  wood  and  spring 
wood  shall  be  sharp  and  the  summer  wood  shall  be  dark  in 
color,  except  in  pieces  having  considerably  above  the  minimum 
requirement  for  summer  wood. 

In  cases  where  timbers  do  not  contain  the  pith,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  locate  it  with  any  degree  of  accuracy,  the  same 
inspection  shall  be  made  over  3  inches  on  an  approximate  ra- 
dial line  beginning  at  the  edge  nearest  the  pith  in  timbers  over 
3  inches  in  thickness  and  on  the  second  inch  (on  the  piece) 
nearest  to  the  pith  in  timbers  3  inches  or  less  in  thickness. 

In  dimension  material  containing  the  pith  but  not  a  5-inch 
radial  line,  which  is  less  than  2x8  inches  in  section  or  less  than 
8  inches  in  width,  that  does  not  show  over  t6  square  inches 
on  the  cross-section,  the  inspection  shall  apply  to  the  second 
inch  from  the  pith.  In  larger  material  that  does  not  show  a 
5-inch  radial  line  the  inspection  shall  apply  to  the  three  inches 
farthest  from  the  pith. 

The  radial  line  chosen  shall  be  representative.  In  case  of 
disagreement  between  purchaser  and  seller  the  average  sum- 
mer wood  and  number  of  rings  shall  be  the  average  of  the  two 
radial  lines  chosen. 

(b)  Sound  Southern  Yellow  Pine  shall  include  pieces  of 
Southern  pine  without  any  ring  or  summer  wood  requirement. 

BRANDED  TIMBERS 

Proper  service  to  buyers  and  users  of  Yellow  Pine  timber 
demand  correct  grading,  and  the  branding  or  marking  of  each 
stick  of  timber  showing  its  grade. 

Variation  in  the  individual  character  of  different  pieces  of 
timber  is  responsible  for  the  difference  in  strength.  Structur- 


464  SELLING    LUMBER 

ally,  some  are  much  stronger  than  others. 

Owing  to  the  confusion  which  frequently  results  in  the 
proper  classifying  of  timbers  into  long  leaf,  short  leaf,  lobolly, 
etc.,  a  new  rule  has  been  devised  and  recently  adopted  by  the 
American  Society  for  Testing  Materials  and  known  among  the 
trade  as  the  "Density  Rule"  which  classifies  all  Southern  Pine 
timbers,  irrespective  of  botanical  species,  into  two  classes ; 
namely  "Dense  Southern  Yellow  Pine"  and  "Sound  Southern 
Yellow  Pine." 

Details  and  description  of  these  designations  will  be  found 
in  these  pages. 

The  Southern  Pine  Association  recommends  that  all  timbers 
be  branded.  All  manufacturers  and  dealers  are  urged  to  brand 
their  timbers  in  accordance  with  the  grades  and  classifications 
contained  in  this  book. 

Southern  Pine  Association. 
New  Orleans,  La.,  March  15,  1916. 

GENERAL  TIMBER  SPECIFICATIONS 

All  timber  except  No.  1  Common  must  be  free  from  defects 
such  as  injurious  ring  or  round  shakes,  and  through  shakes  that 
extend  to  the  surface ;  unsound  and  loose  knots,  and  knots  in 
groups  that  will  materially  'impair  the  strength.  Seasoning 
checks  and  discolored  sap  shall  not  be  considered  defects  in 
any  grade. 

KNOTS 

(Adopted  by  the  American  Society  for  Testing  Materials, 
August  21,  1915.") 

Knots  shall  be  classified  as  round  and  spike  in  form  and  for 
quality  as  sound,  encased,  loose  and  unsound. 

A  round  knot  is  one  which  is  oval  or  circular  in  form. 

A  spike  knot  is  one  sawn  in  a  lengthwise  direction  ;  the  mean 
or  average  width  shall  be  considered  in  measuring  these  knots. 

A  sound  knot  is  one  which  is  solid  across  its  face  and  which 
is  as  hard  as  the  wood  surrounding  it ;  it  may  be  either  red  or 
black,  and  is  so  fixed  by  growth  or  position  that  it  will  retain  its 
place  in  the  piece. 

An  encased  knot  is  one  whose  growth  rings  are  not  inter- 
grown  and  homogeneous  with  the  growth  rings  of  the  piece  it 


SELLINGLUMBER  465 

is  in.  The  encasement  may  be  partial  or  complete;  if  inter- 
grown  partially  or  so  fixed  by  growth  or  position  that  it  will 
retain  its  place  in  the  piece,  it  shall  be  considered  a  sound  knot ; 
if  completely  intergrown  on  one  face,  it  is  a  watertight  knot. 

A  loose  knot  is  one  not  firmly  held  in  place  by  growth  or 
position. 

An  unsound  knot  is  one  not  as  hard  as  the  wood  it  is  m. 

WANE 

Wane  is  bark,  or  the  lack  of  wood  from  any  cause,  on  edges 
of  timbers. 

SHAKES 

Shakes  are  splits  or  checks  in  timbers  which  usually  cause 
a  separation  of  the  wood  between  annual  rings. 

Ring  shake:     An  opening  between  the  annual  rings. 

Through  shake :  A  shake  which  extends  between  two  faces 
of  a  timber. 

Shakes  not  hereinbefore  described  unless  known  to  have 
extensive  penetration  shall  not  be  considered  a  defect  under  this 
classification. 

SIZES 

All  rough  timber,  except  No.  1  Common,  must  be  full  size 
when  green.  One-quarter  inch  shall  be  allowed  for  each  side 
surfaced. 

LENGTHS 

Standard  lengths  are  multiples  of  two  feet,  eight  to  twenty 
feet,  inclusive,  extra  lengths  are  multiples  of  two  feet,  twenty*- 
two  feet  and  longer.  When  lineal  average  is  specified,  standard 
of  lengths  shall  be  multiples  of  one  foot. 

GRADES  OF  TIMBERS. 

HEART  TIMBERS 

All  timber  specifications,  except  "Merchantable"  specifying 
heart  requirement,  shall  be  considered  as  a  special  contract,  and 
shall  specify  whether  the  heart  requirements  refer  to  cubical 
contents  or  surface  measurements  in  each  piece. 

No.  1  COMMON  TIMBERS 

May  be  either  Dense  or  Sound  Pine. 


466  SELLING     LUMBER 

Common  timbers  rough  4x4  and  larger  shall  be  not  more 
than  J4"  scant  at  any  point  when  green,  and  be  well  manufac- 
tured and  may  have  lj^"  wane  on  one  corner  one-third  the 
length  of  the  piece,  or  its  equivalent  on  two  or  more  corners; 
the  wane  measured  on  its  face. 

Timbers  10  x  10  in  size  may  have  2"  wane  as  above ;  the 
larger  sizes  may  have  wane  as  above  in  proportion  to  sizes. 

The  diameter  of  any  one  knot  shall  not  exceed  2"  in  4x4 
to  6x6;  2y2"  in  6x8  to  8x10;  3"  in  10x10  to  10x12; 
W  in  12x12  to  12x14;  4"  in  14x14  to  14x16;  4^"  in 
16  x  16  to  16  x  18.  In  sizes  not  mentioned  the  diameter  of  knots 
admissible  will  increase  or  decrease  in  proportion  to  the  size 
of  the  timbers  on  same  basis  as  above  specified. 

In  determining  the  size  of  knots,  mean  or  average  diameter 
shall  be  taken,  or  the  equivalent  of  the  above  in  grouped  knots 
at  any  one  point.  Shakes  one-sixth  the  length  of  the  piece,  small 
unsound  knots  and  a  limited  number  of  pin  worm  holes,  well 
scattered,  are  admissible 

SQUARE  EDGE  AND  SOUND  TIMBERS 

May  be  either  Dense  or  Sound  Pine. 

Square  edge  and  sound  timbers  shall  be  well  manufactured 
and  conform  to  the  General  Timber  Specifications,  admitting 
sound  knots,  and  shall  be  free  from  wane. 

MERCHANTABLE  TIMBERS 

May  be  either  Dense  or  Sound  Pine. 

All  merchantable  timbers  shall  be  well  manufactured  and 
conform  to  the  General  Timber  Specifications. 

Sizes  under  9"  on  the  largest  dimension,  shall  show  two- 
thirds  or  more  heart  surface  on  one  of  the  wide  faces;  sizes  9" 
and  over  on  the  largest  dimension  shall  show  two-thirds  or 
more  heart  on  both  of  the  wide  faces.  When  sticks  are  square 
the  face  showing  the  most  heart  shall  govern  the  inspection  on 
sizes  under  9",  and  the  two  faces  showing  the  most  heart  shall 
govern  the  inspection  when  9"  and  over.  Heart  showing  the  full 
length,  even  if  not  two-thirds  of  the  area  as  above,  shall  meet 
the  requirements  of  this  quality. 

Wane  not  exceeding  one-eighth  of  the  dimension  of  the  face 
and  one-quarter  of  the  length  of  the  piece  on  one  corner,  or  the 


SELLINGLUMBER  467 

equivalent  on  two  or  more  corners  on  not  to  exceed  ten  per  cent 
of  the  pieces,  shall  be  admitted. 

SELECT  STRUCTURAL  MATERIAL. 

(A  rule  incorporating  suggestions  by  the  United  States  Forest 
Service. ) 

REQUIREMENTS  FOR  DENSITY  AND  RATE  OF 
GROWTH 

1.  Shall  contain  only  sound  wood  and  be  well  manufac- 
tured. 

2.  Shall  conform  to  the  definition  of  Dense  Southern  Pine 
as  adopted  by  the  American   Society    for    Testing    Materials, 
August  21st,  1915,  shown  on  page  463. 

For  the  purpose  of  determining  whether  any  given  piece 
meets  the  requirements  for  density  and  rate  of  growth,  the  fol- 
lowing rule,  suggested  by  the  United  States  Forest  Service, 
shall  be  applied.  It  will  be  sufficient  if  either  end  passes  the 
inspection. 

(1)  Pith  Present  or  Accurately  Located 

(A)  Radial  line  of  5"  present. 

(a)  Apply  inspection  over  third,  fourth  and  fifth 
inches. 

(B)  Radial  line  of  5"  not  present. 

(a)  Apply  inspection  to  the  second  inch  on  2x3, 
2x4,  2x6,  3x3,  3  x  4,  4  x  4,  or  any  other  dimen- 
sion material  that  has  less  than  16  square  inches 
on  the  cross  section. 

(b)     In  the  larger  material  apply  inspection  to  the  3 
inches  farthest  from  the  pith. 

(2)  Pith  Not  Present  or  Cannot  be  Accurately  Located. 

(A)  Material  over  3"  thick  apply  inspection  to  three  inches 
nearest  the  pith. 

(B)  Dimension  material  3"  or  less  in  thickness  apply  in- 
spection to  second  inch  of  the  piece  nearest  the  pith. 

(3)  The  Radial  Line  Chosen  Shall  Show  a  Representative 
Number  of  Annual  Rings  of  Growth  and  Per  Cent  of 
Summer  Wood. 

Restrictions  on  Knots  in  Beams. 

3.  Shall  not  have  in  Volume  1  sound  knots  greater  in  diam- 
eter than  one-fourth  the  width  of  the  face  on  which  they  appear 


468  SELLING    LUMBER 

— maximum  knot  lj^".  Shall  not  have  in  Volume  2  sound 
knots  greater  in  diameter  than  one-half  the  width  of  the  face  on 
which  they  appear — maximum  knot  3  inches. 

The  aggregate  diameter  of  all  knots  within  the  center  half 
of  the  length  of  any  face  shall  not  exceed  the  width  of  that  face. 

The  diameter  of  a  knot  on  the  narrow  or  horizontal  face  of 
a  beam  is  to  be  taken  as  its  projection  on  a  line  perpendicular  to 
the  edge  of  the  timber.     On  the  wide  or  vertical  face,  the  small- 
est dimension  of  a  knot  is  to  be  taken  as  its  diameter. 
Restrictions  on  Knots  in  Columns 

4.  Shall   not  have  sound   knots   greater  in   diameter  than 
one-third   the   least   width   of   the   column — maximum   knots   4 
inches. 

Restrictions  on  Shakes  and  Checks  In  Beams 

5.  Round  or  ring  shakes  shall  not  occupy,  at  either  end  of 
a  timber,  more  than  one-fourth  the  width  of  green  material,  nor 
more  than  one-third  the  width  of  seasoned  material. 

Any  combination  of  checks  and  shakes  which  would  reduce 
the  strength  to  a  greater  extent  than  the  allowable  round-shakes 
will  not  be  permitted.  Shakes  shall  not  show  on  the  faces  of 
either  green  or  seasoned  timber. 

Restrictions  on  Cross  Grain  in  Beams 

6.  Shall  not  have  diagonal  grain*  with  slope  greater  than 
one  in  twenty  in  Volume  1. 


Volume  5 


l^olume  1 


/2  Jengffc 


ABBREVIATIONS  OF  TIMBER  GRADES. 

For  the  purpose  of  branding  timbers  with  the  names  of  the 
Grades  it  is  recommended  that  the  following  abbreviations  be 
used: 

SQ  EDG-SD  —  Square  Edge  and  Sound. 

NO  1  COM—  No.  1  Common      . 

MERCH—  Merchantable. 

SEL  STRUC—  Select  Structural. 


SELLING     LUMBER 


469 


MASTER  CAR  BUILDERS'  ASS'N 

Standard  Marking  of  Freight  Cars. 
Standard  Flooring,  Rough  and  Finished. 
Standard  Sheathing,  Roofing  and  Lining. 
Note — Sheathing,  as  shown  here,  is  referred  to  in  the  Grad- 
ing Rules  as  siding. 
Rearranged  1909. 
M.  C.  B.  26. 


L-4-\~ 


6". 


I  :  pSi" 


? 


JMi 


- 


\    t 


4* BOUGH  SIZE 

SHEATHING 


TT7 


4- 


ROOFING  AND  UNJN6 


470 


SELLING     LUMBER 


n 


j 

Mq> 


E  IN"- 


•  ~i\j 

j 


7 


'-I 


_    1         -T 
,1 


J 


rf- 


->A  ROUGH  


T~r 


_L. 


ii     <i 

it-       7 


4_ 

5jn, 


w 

J_, 


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7X/    5/;    9/;    10 


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FLOORING 


cojvp 


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1  /6 

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M!0 

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FINISHED  FLOORING 


SELLING    LUMBER  471 

List  of  Publications 

Issued  and  Distributed  by  the  Southern  Pine  Association 

GRADING  RULES,  ETC. 

Grading  Rules  (1916  Specifications). 

Standard    Specifications    for    Southern    Yel'low    Pine    Bridge    and 
Trestle  Timbers. 

Classification,    Grading  and    Dressing    Rules    for    Southern   Yellow 
Pine  Car  Material. 

The  Density  Rule. 

Southern   Yellow   Pine  Timbers,   Including   Definition  of  the   New 
"Density  Rule." 

Molding  Book. 

Manual. 

Export  Rules. 

Shingle  Specifications. 

Standard  Mill-Construction. 
PAVING. 

What  the  Cities  Say  About  Creosoted  Wood  Block  Pavements. 

Noise  the  Nerve  Wrecker. 

Floors  of  Service. 

A  Hint  to  Those  Who  Pay  Paving  Taxes. 

Expert  Opinions — Insert  for  Floors  of  Service. 

New  Orleans  and  the  Paving  Problem. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 

Salesmanship  vs.  Order  Taking. 

The  Necessity  of  Co-Operation  and  Organization  in  Modern  Busi- 
ness. 

Lumber  Awakes. 

Legality,  Purpose  and  Work. 

Increasing  the  Consumption  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine. 

The  Possibilities  of  Southern  Yellow  Pine. 

Ten  Commandments  in  Salesmanship. 

You  Have  an  Investment  in  Lumber. 

The  South's  Prosperity  and  the  Lumber  Industry. 

Are  You  Interested  in  the  South? 
LITERATURE  ON  SOUTHERN  YELLOW  PINE. 

Lumber  Pointers. 

Directions  for  Finishing  Southern  Yellow  Pine. 

Culverts  and  Bridges  of  Service. 

Building  for  Service  and  Satisfaction. 

Wood  Proves  Its  Stanchness. 

Creosoted  Wood  for  Farm  Structures. 

Durability  in  Farm  Building. 

Are  You  a  Self-Cheater? 

The  Most  Useful  Wood. 

Some  Surprises  in  Lumber. 

New  Uses  for  Wood. 
SILOS. 

How  to  Choose  and  How  to  Use  a  Silo. 
LITERATURE  FOR  DEALERS. 

The  Dealers'  Handbook. 

A  Hundred  Handy  Helps. 

Stormy  Day  Jobs  You  Can  Do. 

Timely  Repairs  Save  Money. 
BUILDING  PLANS. 

Seven  House  Plans,  Costing  from  $355  to  $5,595. 

A  Modern  Garage. 

Bank,  Cattle  and  Horse,  and  Combination  Barns. 

Unit  Granary.     Implement  Shed.     Hay  Feeding  Shed. 

Round  Rat-Proof  Corn  Crib.     An  Economical  Garage. 


472  INDEX 


INDEX 
A 

Page 

Abnormal  Demand  for  One  Item,  Dealing  with 207 

Acceptability  of  Orders  at  the  Mill 204 

Accounting  Methods,  Uniform,  A  Start  Toward 13 

Accounting,  Uniform  Cost,  the  Need  of 188 

Accounting  Service 119 

Acre,  Yield  Per,  a  Large  Factor 160 

Actual  Sizes  of  Lumber,  Users  Should  Know 183 

Address  of  Welcome,  G.   W.   Funck ..... 7 

Address  of  Welcome,  Response  to 10 

Address  of  Welcome,  Julius  Seidel 8 

Advance  Calling  Cards,  the  Value  of 212 

Advance  Mill  Report,  Good  News  in 31 

Advance  in  White  Pine  Stumpage  Values 365 

Advantages  of  Painted  Shingle  Roofs 383 

Advantages  of  Small  Selling  Territory 215 

Advantages  of  Technical  Training  in  Lumber  Business,  S.  E.  Rob- 
inson    282 

Advertising  Activity,  The  Divisions  of 328 

Advertising  Department  and  Sales  Departments  Allies 327 

Advertising,  Display,  The  Use  of . ..- 328 

Advertising   Help  for  the   Salesman 265 

Advertising,  How  It  Helps  Make  Sales 254 

Advertising,  Importance  of,  to  Salesmen 333 

Advertising  Is  Service 254 

Advertising,  Sales  Promotion  Built  on 385 

Advertising,  Some  Peculiarities  of 253 

Advertisements,  The  Class  of,  Used 328 

Advised  to  Visit  Architects 276 

After  a  Fire  in  Germany 322 

Aggressiveness,  Nothing  Beyond  the  Reach  of 172 

Aggressiveness  the  Uncommon  Thing 171 

Aid,  Government,  A  Plan  to  Enlist 15 

Aid  in  Research  Work,  Lumbermen  Should ' 242 

Alcohol,  Ethyl,  Possibilities  in 80 

All  Vocations  Are  "In  Business" 129 

Amendment,  Text  of  the  Proposed 15 

America,  "The  Pet  of,  High  Heaven" 147 

Ammunition  in  Association  Literature 265 

An  Age  of  Specialization,  This 31ll 

An  Architect  Talks  on   Co-Operation 27 

Analysis  of  Selling,  An 128 

Annual  Waste  of  Yellow  Pine,  25  Million  Cords 233 

Answer  Questions,  Be  Ready  to 375 

Appeal  to  the  Public,  Facts  That 71 

Appreciating  the  Business  Man 149 

Approval,  Government,  of  Co-Operative  Organizations 122 

Architect,  An,  Talks  on  Co-Operation 27 

Architects   Are   Becoming   Specialists 272 

Architects  and  Builders,  Co-Operation  With,  J.  F.  Richardson,  Jr 175 

Architects  and  Contractors,  Educating 46 

Architects'  Confidence  Based  on  Known  Quality 181 

Architect  Has  Advance  Information 179 

Architects'  Influence  Widening 175 

Architect  Left  Alone  to  Solve  Lumber  Problem 269 

Architect,  Lumber  Men  Helping  the 180 

Architects,  Salesmen  Advised  to  Visit 276 


INDEX  473 


Page 

Architect  Wants  Details  of  Species 271 

Architect,  Wise,  Avoids  "Gome-Backs" 175 

Architects,  Why  They  "Sidestep"  Lumber  Salesmen 271 

Are  you  Loyal  to  Your  Firm  ? 300 

Are  You  100  Per  Cent  Honest? 299 

Area,  An,  Choosing  for  Measurement 336 

Arguments  About  Grades,  How  Are  You  In 296 

Arguments  Supporting  Reasons  for  Wooden  Silos 391 

Articles,  Special,  Boosting  the  Industry 332 

Association  Affairs,  How  They  Are  Managed 115 

Association  Asset,  The  Salesman  an 263 

Association  Figures  on  Sawmill  Costs 188 

Association  Grades,  Urge  Use  of 316 

Association,  Help  the,  With  Data 77 

Association,  How  Best  to  Help  the 264 

Association  Interests  in  Brief 123 

Association  Inspection  Service 116 

Association  Literature,  Ammunition  in , 265 

Association  Man,  Every  Yellow  Pine  Manufacturer  Should  Be 366 

Association  Methods,   The  Greatest  Good  Through 366 

Association  Practices  Preparedness. ., 195 

Association   Publications,   List  of 471 

Association   Publicity   as   a  Lumber   Salesman,   Address   by   W.   J. 

Ferry 327 

Association  Publicity  Service 120 

Association  Rules  Should  Be  the  Standard 38 

Association  Service,  The  Meaning  of 267 

Association  Support  Urged  by  Retailers 117 

Association,  The  Southern  Pine,  Purpose  of  Organizing 12 

Association,  What  It  Is  Trying  to  Do 354 

Association  Work  Is  for  All 157 

Associations,  Trade,  Promote  Efficiency 123 

Atmosphere  Grows  Clearer,  The 271 

Attendance,  at  School  of  Salesmanship  Classified  as  to  Firms  Rep- 
resented    403 

Attendance,  List  of« 394 

Attendance,  List  of,  as  to  Firms  Represented 403 

Attendance,  Roll  of,  at  the  School  of  Salesmanship .- 394 

Average  Cost  of  Selling  Lumber 259 

Average  Timber  and  the  Density  Rule 101 

Awakening,  A  Recent,  Among  Manufacturers 262 

B 

Backing  Up  Salesmen's  Promises , 251 

Barrett,  D.  M.,  Address  by 161 

Be  Confident,  But  Not  Vain 300' 

Be  Ready  to  Answer  Questions 375 

Beebe,  W.  M.,  Address,  Selling  Cost,  Direct  and  Indirect 255 

Benefit,  Work  for  the  Retailer's 334 

Benzol  and  Turpentine,  Use  of 380 

Best  Finishes  for  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  Address  by  R.  H.  Brooks. . .  277 

Best  Utilization  of  Selling  Energies 155 

Better  Grades,  Encourage  the  Use  of 376 

Better  If  Competitor  Could  Have  Field 209 

Big  Possibilities  in  Wood  Block  Interiors 383 

Bitting,  Dr.  W.  C.,  Invocation  by 6 

Block  Floors,  More  Wood  Used  in 389 

Blocks  in  Stock,  Every  Lumber  Yard  Should  Carry 388 

Blocks,  Wood,  for  Interior  Floors,  by  A.  H.  Noyes + 383 


474  INDEX 


Page 

Blocks,  Care  in  Cutting 385 

Blue  Stain  Does  Not  Affect  Strength  of  Wood , 220 

Blue  Stain,  The  Origin  of 219 

Boat  Shipping  to  Wholesalers  Stopped 362 

Booklets  and  "Follow-Up"  Advertising  Material 329 

Booklets  on  Wood  Blocks 329 

Boost  Lath,  Shingles  and  Box  Shocks 306 

Booster,  The,  Always  Welcome 307 

Botanical  Species  Not  Considered 337 

Boxes,  Wooden,  New  Specifications  for 84 

Boykin,  L.  J.,  Address,  Costs  from  Mill  to  Car 226 

Boyle,  Gen.  L.  C.,  Introducing 87 

Boyle,  Gen.  L.  C.,  Address,  Public  Sentiment  and  the  Lumber  Sales- 
man   347 

Brand  of  Excellence,  Put  on  Each  piece 321 

Branded  Lumber  Means  Honest  Lumber 179 

Branding  of  Timbers  Should  Be  Insisted  Upon  by  Architects 276 

Breaks  Caused  by  the  Elements 274 

Breakage,  Wood  Block  Floors  Save , 388 

Brick  and  Wood  in  Street  Pavements 323 

Brick,  Where  It  Displaces  Wood , 322 

Bridge  and  Trestle  Timbers,   Southern  Yellow  Pine,  Specifications 

for 441 

Brooks,  R.  H.,  Address  by 277 

Builders  and  Architects,  Co-Operation  with,  J.  F.  Richardson,  Jr 175 

Building,  High  Cost  of,  Not  Due  to  Lumber  Prices 183 

Building,  Home,  Neglected  in  Country 183 

Building  Material,  Lumber  the  Greatest , 182 

Buildings,  Mill-Constructed,  Are  Flexible 338 

Buildings,  Tall,  Losing  Favor 182 

Business,  A  Wrong  Attitude  Toward 349. 

Business  Essential,  Loyalty  a 61 

Business,  "Separate,"  That  Becomes  "Regular" 214 

Business,  Small  and  Big 352 

By-Product,  Valuable,   Neglected 189 

C 

C.  Finish,  Pitch  in 103 

Calling  Cards,  The  Value  of  Advance 212 

Car  Siding,  Inspecting,  A  Basis  for '. 104 

Car  Siding,  No.  1,  Wane  on 105 

Car  Siding,  Wane  on 104 

Car  Shipments,  Transit,  As   to 96 

Car  Material  Specifications 447 

Cars,  Transit,  One  Day's  List  of 97 

Care  in  Cutting  Blocks 385 

Care  of  Trim  Before  Use 281 

Carrying  Water  on  Both  Shoulders 250 

Causes  of  Decreased  Use  of  Lumber 1'94 

Cement,  Use  of,  Will  Decline 347 

Century,  Wooden  Houses  Good  for  a 378 

Chance,  Slim,  for  the  Manufacturer 361 

Character,  A  Man's,  Reading  by  His  Dress 136 

Character  Judging,  Address  by  Dr.  S.  L.  Krebs 124 

Checks,  Seasoning,  The  Meaning  of  "Small" 101 

Chemicals  That  Effectually  Preserve  Wood 222 

Chemical  Treatment,  Prevention  of  Decay  by 221 

Chemical  Utilization  of  Waste 237 

Choosing  an  Area  for  Measurement .  336 


INDEX  475 


Page 

Claims  and  Disputes,  Address  by  M.  L.  Wuescher 315 

Claims  Arising  from  Selling  Errors 315 

Claims  Develop  at  Three  Points 315 

Claims  Developing  at  the  Mill 317 

Claims  Originating  After  Delivery 317 

Closer  Utilization,  Hope  for  Profits  in 79 

"Gome-Backs,"  The  Wise  Architect  Avoids 175 

Common  Sense  in  Selling  Lumber 248 

Company's  Time,  Wasting .-....' 258 

Comparative  Life  of  Woods 94 

Comparative  Strength  of  Fir  and  Yellow  Pine 90 

Competitor,  in  Price,  Yellow  pine  Has  No 368 

Competitive  Conditions,  Past  and  Present 170 

Competitive  Materials,  High  Prices  of,  Help 195 

Competitive  Materials,  Possibilities  In  a  Knowledge  of 54 

Competitive  Woods,  A  Low  Score  on ; 53 

Competitive  Woods,  How  About? 294 

Competition,  Destructive,  Evil  of 308 

Competition,  Ill-Advised  Efforts  to  Meet 191 

Competition  of  Substitutes  Forced  a  Change 29l 

Competition,  Outwitting,  in  Railway  Service 351 

Competition,  Wood  in,  with  Substitutes 93,  322 

Complaints,  Varying,  with  Praise 310 

Color  in  Summer  and  Spring  Wood 336 

Concrete  as  a  Rival  of  Wood , 325 

Concrete  or  Mill-Construction? 274 

Concrete,  The  Grades  of  Lumber  Affected  by 325 

Conditions,  Market,  Prices,  etc 57 

Conditions,   Salesman  Knows  Best 42 

Conditions  That  Promote  Development  of  Fungi 74 

Conditions,  Trade,  Times  Change  in 17 

Confidence,  Architect's,  Based  on  Known  Quality 181 

Confidence,  Earnestness  Compels 377 

Confidence  in  Self  and  Your  Goods 61 

Confidence  the  Salesman's   First  Asset 248 

Congenial  Companions  Other  Than  Customers 258 

Construction  Known  as  "Ordinary" 275 

Construction,  Standard,  Kidder  on 178 

Construction,  Standard  Mill>  Address  by  R.  S.  Lindstrum 269 

Consulting  Expert,  the  Salesman  as 179 

Consumer,  Helping  the,  to  Choose 153 

Consumer,  Reaching  the,  Address  by  Hugh  McVey 253 

Consumers  More  Particular  in  the  East 368 

Contractor,  The,  Figures  for  Profit 270 

Contractors  and  Architects,  Educating 46 

Contractor's,  The,  Finances  Limited 270 

Contrasting  the  Past  with  the  Future , 358 

Control,  Self,  a  Factor  of  Efficiency. 299 

Convention,  Proceedings  of , 6 

Convention,  Program  of 3 

Co-Operate,  How  Salesmen  Can,  with  the  Association,  Address  by 

Ben  S.  Woodhead 262 

Co-Operative  Organizations,  Government  Approval  of 122 

Co-Operation,  An  Architect  Talks  on 27 

Co-Operation  from  the  General  Office,  Address  by  W.  L.  Henry 247 

Co-Operation  from  the  Sawmill,  Address  by  C.  E.  Martin 243 

Co-Operation  in  Extending  Uses  of  Wood 84 

Co-Operation,  Little  from  Lumbermen ..'. 384 

Co-Operation  the  Keynote 86 

Co-Operation,  Which  Means  Team  Work 66 


476  INDEX 


Page 

Co-Operation  Means  Team  Work 303 

Co-Operation  with  Distributors   and   Consumers,   Address   by   M.   B. 

Nelson 150 

Co-Operation  with  Architects  and  Builders,  Address  by  J.  P.  Rich- 
ardson, Jr 175 

Correspondence,  Keeping  Salesmen  Posted  on 248 

Cost  Accounting,  Need  of  Uniform 188 

Cost  and  Method  of  Manufacture 55 

Cost,  Average,  of  Selling  Lumber 259 

Cost  from  Dollies  to  Car 229 

Cost,  High,  of  Building  Not  Due  to  Lumber  Prices 183 

Cost,  High  and  Low  Selling 260 

Cost  Keeping  Systems,  Study  of 86 

Cost  Keeping  Systems,  Unit,  Lacking 241 

Cost  of  Creosoting  Lumber 91 

Cost  of  Production  from  Pond  to  Sorting  Chain,  Address  by  C.  J. 

Mansfield, 186 

Cost  of  Selling,  Relation  of  Cost  of  Production  to 261 

Cost  of  Soda  Dip  Increased 227 

Cost  of  Production  Closely  Watched 186 

Cost  of  Substitutes,  Relative  Value  of 295 

Cost,  Selling,  Direct  and  Indirect,  Address  by  W.  M.  Beebe 255 

Cost,  Selling,  The  Salesman  Can  Regulate  the 260 

Costs,  from  Mill  to  Car,  Address  by  L.  J.  Boykin 226 

Costs,  Mill,  Factors  in 187 

Costs,  Sawmill,  Association  Figures  on 188 

Costs,  Sawmill,  Address  by  C.  J.  Mansfield 186 

Costs,  Stumpage  and  Logging,  Address  by  Frank  Schopflin 158 

Costs,  The  Items  of  Logging 159 

Cotton,  Wood  a  Substitute  for 83 

Courtesy  the  Greatest  Selling  Essential 377 

Courtesy,  The  Value  of 59 

Courtesy,  The  Importance  of 298 

Cover  Territory,  How  Best  To,  Address  by  J.  H.  Heyl 212 

Credit,  Wide  Latitude  in  Extending 368 

Credit,  Withholding,  from   Salesmen 249 

Creosoting  Lumber,   Cost  of 91 

Creosoted  Lumber  Less  Liable  to  Shrink *. 90 

Creosoted,  Sap  Lumber  Good  When 76 

Creosoted  Silos  Do  Not  Injure  Feed 88 

Creosoted  Wood  Blocks  for  Interior  Service,  Address  by  A.  H.  Noyes .   383 

Criticism  That  May  Be  Helpful 211 

Criticisms,  Prepare  to  Meet , 3<0 

Crooked  Lumber,  Grading 101 

Cupped  B  and  Better  Finish 105 

Current  Statistical  Service,  Helpful 118 

Customer,  Don't  Hurry  Too  Much 214 

Customer,  How  the  Salesman  Can  Aid  His 58 

Customer,  Meeting  on  a  Social  Basis 344 

Customer,  The,  Problem  of 133 

Customer,  The,  Take  the  Pace  of 141 

Customer's  Confidence,  Helping  Sustain 252 

Cut  off  the  Non-Growing  Worker 166 

Cuts,  Advertising,  Used  for  400  Retailers 331 

Cutting  Blocks,  Care  in 385 

Cutting  Down  ^Efficiency  Factors 343 

Cutting  Ends  Rot  in  Living  Tree 218 

Cutting  Out  the  Traveling  Salesman 393 

Cutting,   Price,   Unnecessary 308 


INDEX  477 


D 

Page 

Data,  Help  the  Association  with 77 

Dead  Load,  The,  in  a  Building 274 

Dealer,   When   Mill  and,   Disagreed 106 

Dealer,  The,  as  a  User  of  Wood 185 

Dealers,  A  Majority  of,  Against  Transit  Shipments 97 

Dealers  and  Salesmen  Must  Be  Educators 182 

Dealers  Carry  Too  Many  Side  Lines 184 

Dealers,  Lumber,  Don't  Know  Species < 177 

Dealing  with  an  Abnormal  Demand  for  One  Item 207 

Dealing  with  the  Intellectual  Type 142 

Decay  Spreads  from  Sap  Wood  to  Heart  Wood 220 

Decay  of  Yellow  Pine  Lumber,  by  Dr.  H.  von  Schrenk 218 

Decreased  Use  of  Lumber,  Causes  of 194 

Delivery,  Following  Up  the  Sale  to 272 

Demand,  Public,  Salesmen  Should  Watch  Trend  of 204 

Demand,  When  the  Supply  Catches  the 366 

Demands,  The,  of  Modern  Competition 371 

Denied  the  Use  of  Remedies 14 

Density,   Determining  the  Factor  of 336 

Density  Rule  Answers  Questions 72 

Density  Rule,  Average  Timber  and  the 101 

Density  Rule,  Douglas  Fir  to  Have 91 

Density  Rule   Measures   Strength 73 

Density   Rule  Measures   Strength   Only 339 

Density  Rule,  The,  Address  by  J.  E.  Jones 334 

Density  Rule,  The,  Definition  of 461 

"Density  Rule,"  The,  and  Southern  Yellow  Pine  Timbers 461 

Destructive   Competition,   Evil   of 308 

Details  of  Species,  Architect  Wants 271 

Determining  the  Factor  of  Density 336 

Development  of  Fungi,  Conditions  That  Promote 74 

Difference  in  Value,  Partition  and  Flooring Tr KM) 

Difficult  to  Fix  a  Fair  Average " 260 

Difficulties  in  Kiln  Drying  Longleaf 227 

Difficulties,  Selling,  of  Today 369 

Dimension,   Long  Leaf  and  Short  Leaf 93 

Direct  and  Indirect  Selling  Costs,  by  W.  M.  Beebe 255 

Discussion,  General,  Begins 95 

Discussion  of  Questions  Asked 33 

Diseases  That  Attack  Trees  and  Lumber 73 

Display  Advertising,  The  Use  of 328 

Disposing  of  Odds  and  Ends 20>8 

Disposing  of  Short  Lengths 45 

Disputes  and  Claims,  by  M.  L.  Wuescher. 315 

Distributors  and  Consumers,  Co-Operation  with,  by  M.  B.  Nelson 150 

Distribution,   Is  the   Saleman's  Work 128 

Divisions  of  Advertising  Activity 328 

Do  Salesmen  "Play  Favorites"  ? 37 

Do  You  Know  the  Density  Rule? 196 

Do  You  Know  Value  and  Cost  of  Substitutes? 295 

Dollies  to  Car,  Cost  from 229 

Don't  Hurry  the  Customer  Too  Much 214 

Don't  Expect  Immediate  Results  from  School 118 

Don't  Try  to  Win  Through  "Pull" 276 

Doing  Business   by  Telephone , 307 

Douglas  Fir  and  Yellow   Pine 275 

Douglas  Fir  and  Longleaf  Pine  on  Equal  Basis 92 

Douglas  Fir  to  Have  Density  Rule 91 

Dress,  Reading  a  Man's  Character  by  His 136 


478  INDEX 


Page 

Drinking  Is   Becoming  Unfashionable 344 

"Drummer,"  The,  Still  a  Power 393 

Duty  of  the  Lumber  Salesman 194 

E 

Each  Industrial  Plant  a  Separate  Problem 313 

Early  Day  Lumbering,  Hardships  of 361 

Early  Morning   Sales   at  Auction 360 

Earnestness    Compels   Confidence 377 

Economical  Selling  Means  Increased  Profits 303 

Economy  of  the  Wooden  Silo 392 

Economy  and  Profits 64 

Eddy,  J.  H.,  Address,  The  Yellow  Pine  Shingle 189 

Educating  Architects  and  Contractors 46 

Educating  Ourselves,   The  Task   of 12 

Efficient,  No  Man  100  Per  Cent 292 

Efficiency,  A  Higher;  Appreciation  of 355 

Efficiency,  Address  by  R.  J.  Tolson 286 

Efficiency,  Examination  in 50* 

Efficiency  Factors,  Cutting  Down 343 

Efficiency,  Factors  of,  in  Lumber  Manufacture 320 

Efficiency,  Higher,  A  Need 311 

Efficiency  in  Price   Quoting 296 

Efficiency,  Self-Control  a  Factor  of 299 

Efficiency  Test,  Mr.  Woodhead  Submits  to 50 

Efficiency,  The  Meaning  of  Perfect 291 

Efficiency,  Trade  Associations  Promote 123 

Employers'  Interests,  Salesmen  Should  Guard 318 

Empty  Promises  of  Prompt  Delivery 277 

Enamel  Finish   for  Yellow  Pine 279 

Enamel  for  Yellow   Pine 381 

Encourage  the  Use  of  Better  Grades 376 

Endurance  of  Power  in  Commercial  Greatness 148 

Engineering  Service „,.  121 

England  Ahead  of  Us  in  Treating  Lumber 76 

Enhanced  Stumpage  Values,  Expects 357 

Entertaining,  The  Item  of 258 

Entitled   to   Farmers'   Help 350 

Erroneous  Idea,  An,  Some  Dealers  Have 37 

Ethyl  Alcohol,  Possibilities  in 80 

Europe,  Promotion  Work  in 121 

Every  Manufacturer  Should  Be  Association  Man 366 

Evils  of  Careless  Merchandising 178 

Examination  in  Efficiency 50 

Example,  An,  of  Good  Salesmanship 351 

Excess  Stock,  Helping  Get  Rid  of 180 

Exercise  for  Health  and  Economy 257 

Experts  Should  Supervise  Treatment 223 

Exploiting  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  Address  by  W.  H.  Sullivan 305 

Expected  a  Congress  of  "Home  Talent" 356 

Expects  Enhanced  Stumpage  Values 357 

Expression,  Not  Physiognomy,  Counts 135 

Extending  Credit,  Wide  Latitude  in 368 

Extending  the  Uses  of  Wood,  Co-Operation  in 84 

Exteriors,  Yellow  Pine,   Painting 379 

F 

Facial  Analysis,  No  Time  for 134 


INDEX  479 


Page 

Fact,  A,  That  Legislators  Forget 322 

Factor  of  Density,  Determining  the 336 

Factors,  Efficiency,  Cutting  Down 343 

Factors   in  Mill   Costs 187 

Factors  of  Efficiency  in  Lumber  Manufacture 320 

Factory  and  Industrial  Trade,  Selling,  by  C.  W.  Myers 310 

Factory  Needs,  Mills  Fail  to  Provide  for 312 

Factory  Uses  of  Lumber,  Salesmen  Should  Study 85 

Factory  Uses  of  Wood,  Learn 238 

Facts  That  Appeal  to  the  Public 71 

Facts  That  Can  Be  Reproduced 126 

Facts  for  Shingle  Users 193 

Faculty,  The,  of  Judging  Human  Nature 303 

Failures,  Study,  as  Well  as  Successes 126 

Fair  Average,   Difficult   to  Fix   a 260 

Famine,   A,   in  High-Priced  Salesmen 173 

Farmers'  Help,  Entitled  to , 350 

Faults'  of  Sales   Organizations 150 

Faults  of  Other  Silos 392 

Favor,   Tall  Buildings  Losing 182 

Feed,  Creosoted  Silos  Do  Not  Injure 88 

Fencing,  Grading  No.  3 108 

Fencing,  No.  2,  and  No.  2  Flooring  Graded  the  Same 109 

Ferry,  W.  J.,  Address,  Association  Publicity  as  a  Lumber  Salesman. .  327 

Fibre  Board  in  the  Box  Industry 326 

Field,  The,  Better  if  the  Competitor  Could  Have 209 

Figures,  Association,  -on  Sawmill  Costs 1S8 

Finding  Markets  in  Unexpected  Places 215 

Finances,  The  Contractors'  Limited 270 

Finish,   C,  Pitch  in 103 

Finish,  Cupped  B  and  Better 105 

Finish,  Enamel,  for  Yellow  Pine 279 

Finish,  Interior,  Mr.  Brooks  on 25 

Finished  Lumber,  Tree  Rot  That  Shows  In 218 

Finishes,  Best,  for  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  by  R.  H.  Brooks 277 

Finishes,  Methods  of  Rubbing 281 

Finishing  Floors  of  Yellow  Pine 382 

Finishing,   Painting  and,   Southern  Yellow  Pine,  Address  by  H.  A. 

Gardner 378 

Finishing  Specifications,  A  Varnish  Maker's 280 

Finishing  Yellow  Pine,  A  Technical  Work  on , 330 

Fir  and  Yellow  Pine,  Comparative  Strength  of 90 

Fir,  Douglas,  to  Have  Density  Rule 91 

Fire  Hazard  Argument,  Meeting  the 184 

Fire  Hazard,  The,  Shingles  and 191 

Fire  in  Germany,  After  a 322 

Fire-Resistant  Shingle  Paints ., 383 

Fire,  Steel  and  Wood  in 324 

Firm,  Are  You  Loyal  to  Your 300 

Firms   Represented   at  Salesmen's   Convention 403 

''First  Class  Lumberman,"  A,  Defined 289 

First  Impressions,  Effect  of 217 

First  Wood,  Then  Steel,  Then  Back  to  Wood 323 

Five  Elements,  The,  of  a  Sale • 129 

Fixed  Charges,  The  Question  of  Proper 14 

Flexible,    Mill-Constructed    Buildings    Are 338 

Floors,  Building,  "Live"  Loads  on. . 273 

Floors,  Interior,  Wood  Blocks  for,  by  A.  H.  Noyes 383 

Floors  of  Yellow  Pine,  Finishing 382 

Floors,  Wood  Block,  Points  of  Superiority  of 387 


480  INDEX 


Page 

Floors,  Block,  More  Wood  Used  in 389 

Floors,  Wood  Block,  Save  Breakage ... 388 

Flooring  and  Partition,  Difference  in  Value  of 100 

Flooring,  Mis-Matched 10i2 

Flooring,  Mis-Matched,  A  Use  for 103 

Flooring,  No.  2,  and  No.  2  Fencing  Graded  the  Same 109 

Flooring,  Why  It  Is   Standard  Matched 99 

Following  Through  an  Order  for  Wood  Blocks 384 

Following  Up'  the  Sale  to  Delivery 272 

"Follow-Up"  Material  and  Booklets 329 

Forest  Service  Expert  Talks  on  Mill  Waste 78 

Forest  Service  Experts,  How  They  Work 81 

Forest   Service   Sought   Simpler  Rules 335 

Forestry,  What  a  Course  In,  Is 283 

Four  Hundred   Retailers   Used   Cuts 331 

Foundation  for  an  Order,  Laying  the 386 

Funck,  George  W.,  Address  of  Welcome  by 7 

Fungi,  Conditions  That  Promote  Development  of 74 

Fungi  That  Attack  Lumber 219 

Future  Work,  Architect  Has  Information  on 179 

G 

Gained  $30  a  Thousand  on  a  Special  Order 372 

Gardner,  H.  A.,  Address,  Painting  and  Finishing  Yellow  Pine 378 

General  Office,  Co-Operation  from,  by  W.  L.  Henry 247 

General    Discussion    Begins 95 

Germany,  After  a  Fire  in 322 

Getting  a  Line  on  "Prospects" 386 

Getting  a  Profit,  The  Problem  of 14 

Getting  the  Salesman's  Value 130 

Getting  Together,  The  Habit  of 161 

Gin,  Prefers  Learning  to Ill 

Good  Salesmanship,  An  Example  of 351 

Good  Salesmanship  Not  All  in  Selling  Quantity 374 

Good  Salesmanship,  Thorough  Knowledge  Essential  to 196 

"Good  Grade"   Notation   Unnecessary 35 

Good  Health,  The  Importance  of 294 

Good  News  in  an  Advance  Mill  Report 31 

Good  Salesmen  Should  Be  Good  Lumbermen 289 

"Good  Stock,"  Meaning  of 34 

Good  Stock  in  Wood  Blocks 384 

Goods,  Confidence  in  Self  and  Your 61 

Goods,  The,  the  Essential  Thing  in  Salesmanship 132 

Government  Aid,  Plan  to  Enlist 15 

Government  Approval  of  Co-Operative  Organizations 122 

Government  Wood- Waste  Exchange,  A 239 

Government's  Wood- Working  Exchange,  The 86 

Grade  Standards,  The  Birth  of 363 

Grade  Close  to*  Established  Rules 321 

Grade,  The  Right,  in  the  Right  Place 198 

Grades,  Association,  Urge  Use  of 316 

Grades,  Better,  Encourage  the  Use  of 376 

Grades,  How  Are  You  in  Arguments  About 296 

Grades,  Off,  The  Handling  of -231 

Grades  of  Lumber,  The,  Affected  by  Concrete :. . .   325 

Grades,  Standard,  The  Origin  of 334 

Grades,  Why  Salesmen  Must  Know,  by  W.  J.  Haynen 194 

Grading  Orders,  Volume  Not  a  Factor  in 205 

Grading  Rules  for  Southern  Yellow  Pine  Lumber..  .  412 


INDEX  481 


Page 

Grading    Crooked    Lumber 101 

Grading  No.  3  Fencing.    .   . 108 

Grading  Rules,   Knowledge  of 56 

Grading  Rules,  Yard  Stock,  by  J.  W.  Martin 319 

Grading,  Yard  Stock,  by  the  Manufacturers , 320 

Grading  No.  2  Center  Matched 107 

Greater  Profits  and  a  Pleased  Customer 372 

Greatest  Good,  The,  Through  Association  Methods 366 

Greatest  Building  Material,   Lumber  the 182 

Grooved  Roofing  Worth  More  Than  Shiplap 100 

Growth,    Salesmanship   the  Act  of 163 

Growth,   Business,   Why   It   Stops 164 

Growth,  Producers  of,  Should  Share  in. . . : 165 

Guesswork,  The  Rule  Eliminates 338 

H 

Habit,  The,  of  Getting  Together 161 

Handling,  Too  Much,  in  Lumber  Manufacture 85 

Handling   Yellow   Pine   Made  Difficult 365 

Handling,  The,  of  Off  Grades 231 

Handling  the    "Will"    Type 144 

Hardships  of  Early-Day  Lumbering 361 

Haynen,  W.  J.,  Address,  Why  Salesmen  Must  Know  Grades 194 

Health,   Good,   The  Importance  of 294 

Health  and  Economy,  Exercise  for 257 

Health  the  First  on  the  List 51 

Heart  Pine  Shingle,  The  Life  of 88 

Heart  Wood,  Decay  Spreads  from  Sapwood  to 220 

"Heart"  Man,  How  to  Know  the 143 

"Heart"  Type,  Using  Head  Arguments  with  the 144 

Help  the  Association  with  Data 77 

Helping  Sustain  the  Customer's  Confidence 252 

Helping  the  Consumer  to  Choose 153 

Helping  Get  Rid  of  Excess   Stock 180 

Helpful  Current  Statistical   Service 118 

Henry,  W.  L.,  Address,  Co-Operation  from  the  General  Office 247 

Heyl,  J.  H.,  Address,  How  Best  to  Cover  the  Territory 212 

High  and  Low   Selling  Cost 260 

High  Prices  for  Short  Lengths 372 

High  Prices  of  Competitive  Materials  Help 195 

Higher  Efficiency  a   Need 311 

High-Priced  Salesmen,  A  Famine  in 173 

"High  Cost  of  Building"  Not  Due  to  Lumber  Prices 183 

Hines,  Edward,  Address,  Lumber  Salesmanship 356 

Hit-or-Miss  Methods  of  Marketing 360 

Home  Building  Neglected  in  the  Country 183 

Honest,  Are  You  1W  Per  Cent? 299 

Honest  Lumber,  A  Plea  for 176 

Honest  Lumber  Means  Branded  Lumber 179 

Honesty  and   Truthfulness 59 

Hope  in  the  Southern  Pine  Association 353 

Hope,  The,  for  Profit  in  Closer  Utilization 79 

Hotel   Bills,   Saving  on 257 

Houses,  Wooden,  Good  for  a  Century 378 

How  About  Competitive  Woods? 294 

How  Advertising  Helps  Make  Sales 254 

How  Are  You  in  Arguments  About  Grades? 296 

How   Association  Affairs  Are  Managed 115 

How  Best  to  Cover  the  Territory,  by  J.  H.  Heyl 212 


482  INDEX 


Page 

How  Best  to  Help  the  Association 264 

How  Do  You  Rank  as  a  Retailer? 297 

How  Forest  Service  Experts  Work 81 

How  One-Size  Orders  May  Cause  Trouble 206 

How  Salesmen  Can  Co-Operate  with  Association  by  Ben  S.  Wood- 
head 262 

How  the  Lumber  Industry  Differs  from  Others 203 

How  the  Salesman  Can  Aid  His  Customer 58 

How  the   Salesman   Can   Help 177 

How  the  Salesman  Can  Help  in  Waste  Utilization 238 

How  to  Know  the  "Heart"  Man 143 

How  to  Offset  Inroads  of  Substitutes 327 

How  to  Use  Preserved  Wood 225 

Human  Nature,  The  Faculty  of  Judging 303 

Hundreds  of  Friendly  Notices  Used 333 

Hurried,  The  Slow  Man  Resents  Being 141 

I 

Identifying  Species  "By  the  Feel" 24 

Identifying  Variety   in   Lumber 23 

Ignorant  Salesmen  Not  Welcome  Callers ._._. ..._..  181 

Ill-Advised  Efforts   to  Meet  Competition ..~.....  19i 

"Immediate,"  "Prompt"  and  "Rush"   Shipments 39 

Importance  of  Shipping  Clerks . .. 246 

Importance,  The,  of  Advertising  to  Salesmen 333 

Importance,   The,  of   Courtesy 298 

Importance,  The,  of  Good  Health 294 

Importance,   The,  of  Traveling   Salesmen 255 

Importance,  The,  of  Writing  Orders   Correctly 210 

Importance,  The,  of  Personal  Neatness 62 

Important  to  Salesmen  of  Wood 202 

"Impossibilities"   the  Successful  Man's  Goal 174 

Improved  Wood- Working  Machines   Needed 240 

Increased  Profits  in  Economical   Selling 303 

Increased  Sales,  Salesmen's  Ability  to  Specialize,  Means 273 

Index  to   Lumber   Grading   Rules 439,  440 

Industry  Dependent  on  Sales  Department 306 

Industry,  The,  Salesmen  Are  the  Eyes  of 309 

Industry,  Special  Articles   Boosting 332 

Industrial  Plant,  Each,  a  Separate  Problem 313 

Industrial  Trade  Demands  Close  Study 312 

Inevitable  Variations  in  Low-Grade  Stock 36 

Infant  "Efficiency,"  The,   Appears 291 

Influence,   The  Architect's,  Widening 175 

Information,  Advance,  The  Architect  Has 179 

Information  for  Your  Office 374 

Information  That  Salesmen  Should  Have 244 

Information  the  Mills  Should  Have 318 

Initiative    and    Originality 64 

"Initiative"  Means  Developing  Your  Job 302 

Inroads  of  Substitutes,  How  to  Offset. 327 

Inspecting  Car  Siding,  A  Basis  for 104 

Inspection!  Service,  Association 116 

Inspectors  Handle  Stock  as  They  Find  It 100 

Instruction  Helps  Sell  Lumber 283 

Instructions,  Salesman's,  May  Cause  Trouble,  When 39 

Insurance,   Low  Rates,   en  Mill-Construction   Buildings 274 

Institution,  The  Salesman  an 393 

Intellectual  Type,  Dealing  with 142 


INDEX  483 


Page 

Intent,   The,  of  Association   Rules 110 

Interests,   Association,   in  Brief 123 

Interests,  Employers',  Salesmen  Should  Guard 318 

Interior  Finish,  Mr.  Brooks  on 277 

Interior  Trim,  Short  Leaf  for 278 

Interiors,  Wood  Block,   Big  Possibilities  in 383 

Interiors,  Yellow  Pine,  Painting 380 

Interpret   Emphasis,   Learning   to 139 

Investigation   Would   Astonish   Manufacturers 240 

Invitation,  An,  to  Ask  Questions ' 19 

Invocation  at  Opening  of  Convention,  Dr.  W.  C.  Bitting 6 

Item,  Dealing  With  an  Abnormal  Demand  for  One 207 

Item,   The,   of  Entertaining. 258 

Items   of  Trucking,  Loading,  etc —  .  226 

Items,  The,  of  Selling  Expense 256 

Items,  The,  of  Logging  Costs 159 

j 

Job,   "Initiative"   Means   Developing  Your 302 

Jones,  J.  E.,  Address,  The  Density  Rule 334 

Judging,  Character,  as  a  Business  Asset,  Dr.  S.  L.  Krebs 124 

Judging  Human  Nature,  The  Faculty  of 303 

Judging  Lumber,  Varied  Standards   in 319 

Judging  the  Order,  Address,  F.  R.  Watkins 203 

Judgment  and  Tact 63,301 

K 

Keep  in  Close  Touch  with  the  Mills 197 

Keep   Posted  on  Mill   Stocks 2tf 8 

Keeping  Salesmen  Posted   on   Correspondence 248 

Keith,  Charles  S.,  Address,  Organization  Means  Efficiency 11 

Keith,  President,  Introducing 11 

Kendall,  H.  T.,  Address,  Purpose  of  Meeting 10 

Kidder  on  "Standard  Mill-Construction" 178 

Kiln-Drying  Long  Leaf/  Difficulties  in 227 

Knowing  Your  Product,  The  Value  of 70 

Knowledge  of  Competitive  Materials,  Possibilities  in 54 

Knowledge  of  Grading  Rules 56 

Knowledge  of  Substitutes , 53 

Knowledge,  Practical  Use  of  Technical 284* 

Knowledge  Required,  The  Technical. 371 

Knowledge,   Superior,   Means  Personal   Profit.... 268 

Knowledge,  Thorough,  Essential  to  Good  Salesmanship 196 

Known  Quality,  Architects'  Confidence  Based  on 181 

Krebs,  Dr.  S.  L.,  Address,  Character  Judging 124 

* 

L 

Lack  of  Support  for  the  Salesman 342 

Landing  an  Order  After  Three  Tries 343 

Lath,  No.  1  Pine,  Pitch  in 110 

Lath,  Shingles  and  Box  Shooks,  Boost. 306 

Latitude,  Wide,  in  Extending  Credit 368 

Laying  the  Foundation  for  an  Order 386 

Leader,  A,  in  Selling  Short  Lengths 346 

Learn   Factory  Uses  of  Wood 238 

Learn  to  Know  Our  Product 151 

Learning  to  Interpret  Emphasis 139 


484  INDEX 


Page 

Lecture,  A,  on  Painting  Yellow  Pine 25 

Length  of  Life  of  Woods,  Comparative , 94 

Lengths,  Orders  for  Varied,  Appreciated  at  Mill 245 

Lengths,  Ten  to  Twenty-Foot,  What  the  Term  Implies 41 

Lesson,  The,  in  Persia's  Fall 147 

Letting  Salesmen  Answer  Price  Inquiries 251 

Lightness  Combined  with  Strength 200 

Life  of  a  Heart-Pine  Shingle,  The 88 

Limitations  in  the  Use  of  Shingles 30 

Limitations,  Some,  of  Wood 201 

Lindstrum,   R.   S.,  Address,   Standard  Mill   Construction 269 

Linoleum  and  Rugs  from  Wood  Fibre 83 

List  of  Publications   Issued   and   Distributed  by   the   Southern   Pine 

Association 471 

List  of  Transit  Cars,  One  Day's 97 

Literature,   Ammunition   in   Association 265 

Little   Co-Operation   from   Lumbermen 384 

Little  Malice  in  Printed  Attacks .  .H 332 

"Live"  Loads  on  Building  Floors .. ., 273 

Load,  The  ''Dead,"  in  a  Building 274 

Loading,  Trucking,  etc.,  Items  of 226 

Loads,  "Live,"  on  Building  Floors 273 

Logging  Costs,  Stumpage  and,  by  Frank  Schopflin 158 

Logging  Costs  and  Stumpage 27 

Logging  Costs,  The  Items  of 159 

Logs,  Small,  Expensive  to  Handle 187 

Long  Leaf,  Difficulties  in  Kiln  Drying 227 

Long  Leaf  Pine  and  Douglas  Fir  on  Equal  Basis 92 

Long  Leaf  and  Short  Leaf  Dimension 93 

"Long  Leaf"  and  "Short  Leaf"  Confusing 335 

Loss,  The,  in  Lumber  Manufacture 78 

Low-Grade  Stock,  Inevitable  Variations  in 36 

Low  Rates  of  Insurance  on  Mill-Constructed  Buildings 274 

Low  Score,  A,  on  Competitive  Woods 53 

Loyal,  Are  You,  to  Your  Firm 300 

Loyalty  a  Business  Essential 61 

Lumber,  A  Poor  Way  to  Sell 217 

Lumber  and  Trees,  Diseases  That  Attack 73 

Lumber  Assembled  Without  Regard  to   Sizes -. ., 359 

Lumber,  Average  Cost  of  Selling 259 

Lumber,  Branded,   Means   Honest   Lumber 179 

Lumber  Business,    Technical   Training   in 26 

Lumber  Business,  The,  No  Secrets  in 18 

Lumber,  Causes  of  Decreased  Use  of 194 

Lumber  Centers,  Famous,   of  Other  Years 359 

Lumber,  'Common   Sense  in   Selling 248 

Lumber,  Ccst  of   Creosoting 91 

Lumber,  Creosoted,  Less  Liable  to  Shrink 90 

Lumber,    Crooked,    Grading 101 

Lumber  Dealers  Carry  Too  Many  Side  Lines. 184 

Lumber  Dealers  Don't  Know  Species.  « 177 

Lumber,  Decay  of  Yellow  Pine,  by  Dr.  H.  von  Schrenk 218 

Lumber,  Factory  Uses  of,  Salesmen  Should  Study 85 

Lumber,  Fungi  That  Attack 2-19 

Lumber,  Grades  of,  Affected  by  Concrete 325 

Lumber,  Identifying  Variety  in 23 

Lumber  Industry,  A  Step  Toward  Stabilizing  the 17 

Lumber  Industry,  How  It  Differs  from   Others 203 

Lumber  Industry,  The,  Asleep  at  the  Switch 358 

Lumber,  Instruction  Helps  Sell 283 


INDEX  485 


Page 

Lumber  Manufacture,  Factors  of  Efficiency  in 320. 

Lumber  Manufacture,  The  Loss  in ,. . .  78 

Lumber  Manufacture,  Too  Much  Handling  in 85 

Lumber  Men  Helping  the  Architect 180' 

Lumber,  No  Book  Tells  the  Story  of 132 

Lumber  Prices,  "High  Cost  of  Building,"  Not  Due  to -. . .  183 

Lumber  Prices,  Stability  in  Northern 364 

Lumber  Problem,  Architect  Left  Alone  to  Solve 269 

Lumber  Salesman,  Duty  of 194 

Lumber  Salesman,  Possibilities  for  the 341 

Lumber  Salesmen  Should  Know  Their  Product 202 

Lumber  Salesman,  The,  and  His  Possibilities,  by  Capt.  J.  B.  White..  340 

Lumber  Salesmen,  Why  Architects  "Sidestep" 271 

Lumber  Salesmanship,  Address  by  Edward  Hines 356 

Lumber,  Sap,  Good  When  Creosoted 76 

Lumber,  Silo  Building  Increases  Other  Uses  of 389 

Lumber,  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  Grading  Rules  for 412 

Lumber,  Substitutes  Displaced  10  Billion  Feet  of 326 

Lumber,  The  Cost  of  Resawing 98 

Lumber  the  Greatest  Building  Material 182 

Lumber,  The  One  Nameless  Material 276 

Lumber,  The   Open-Tank   Treatment  of 223 

Lumber,  The  Pressure- Vacuum  Method  of  Treating 223 

Lumber,  The  Right  Uses  of 321 

Lumber  "Trust"  Impossible 350 

Lumber,  Unsuitable  Uses  of 375 

Lumber,  Users  Should  Know  Actual  Sizes  of 183 

Lumber  Yard,  Every,  Should  Carry  Wood  Blocks  in  Stock 388 

Lumberman,   "First  Class"  Defined 289 

Lumbermen,  Little  Co-Operation  from 384 

Lumbermen  Should  Aid  in  Research  Work 242 

Lumbering,  Hardships  of  Early-Day 361 

M 

Make  Orders  Fit  the  Stock 245 

Make  Your  Talk  Fit  the  Temperament 141 

Making  Sales,  Personality  a  Factor  in 256 

Malice,  Little,  in  Printed  Attacks 332 

Man,  The,  Who  Applies  Himself  Will  Win 277 

Mansfield,  C.  J.,  Cost  of  Production  from  Pond  to  Sorting  Chain 186 

Manufacture,  Lumber,  The  Loss  in 78 

Manufacture  of  Lumber,  What  Do  You  Know  of  It? 295 

Manufacturer,  A  Slim  Chance  for  the 361 

Manufacturer,  Problems   for  the 239 

Manufacturer,  The,  a  Former  Retailer 342 

Manufacturer,  Yard  Stock  Grading  by 320 

Manufacturers,  A  Recent  Awakening  Among 262 

Manufacturers,  Investigation  Would  Astonish 240 

Manufacturers,  Yellow  Pine,  A  Mistake  of 365 

Many  Subjects  Treated  in  Many  Publications 329 

Market  Conditions,  Prices,  etc 57 

Market,  A  Tremendous,  Near  Home 29 

Market,  The,  Sales  That  May  Hurt 208 

Markets,  Finding  in  Unexpected  Places 215 

Marketing,  Hit-or-Miss  Methods  of 360 

Martin,  J.  W.,  Address,  Yard  Stock  Grading  Rules 319 

Martin,  Charles  E.,  Address,  Co-Operation  from  the  Sawmill 243 

Material,  Lumber  the  Greatest  Building 182 

Material,  Lumber  the  One  Nameless 276 


486  INDEX 


Page 

Materials,  Competitive,  Possibilities  in  Knowledge  of 54 

Materials,   Competitive,  High  Prices  of,  Help 195 

Materials,  Other,  Delivered  as  Ordered 178 

McVey,  Hugh,  Address,  Reaching  the  Consumer 253 

Meaning   of    "Good    Stock" 34 

Meaning,  The,  of  Association  "Service" 267 

Meaning,  The,   of  Mill-Construction 273 

Meaning,  The,  of  Perfect  Efficiency 291 

Meaning,  The,  of  "Prompt  Shipment" 39 

Meaning,  The,  of  "Small"  Seasoning  Checks 101 

Meaning,  The,   of  Trade  Extension 306 

Measures,  Preventive,  for  the  Salesman 316 

Measurement,  Choosing  an  Area  of 336 

Meet  Competition,  111- Advised  Efforts  to 191 

Meet  Criticisms,  Prepare  to 30 

Meeting,  Purpose  of,  by  Harry  T.  Kendall 10 

Meeting  the  "Fire  Hazard"  Argument. ., 184 

Meeting  the  Customer  on  a  Social  Basis 344 

Men  You  Deal  with,  the  Three  Types 142 

Merits  of  Wood  and  Its  Limitations,  Address  by  E.  A.  Sterling 199 

Merits  of  Wood,  Teach  Others  the 152 

Merchandising,  Careless,  Evils  of 178 

Merchandising,  Retail 58 

Metal,  Office  Equipment  of 325 

Methods,  Association,  The  Greatest  Good  Through 366 

Methods  of  Marketing,  Hit-or-Miss 360 

Methods  of  Rubbing  Finishes 281 

Methods  of  Preventing  Decay  in  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  Address  by 

Dr.  H.  von  Schrenk 218 

Methods  of  Utilization 233 

Method  and  Cost  of  Manufacture,  As  to 55 

Mill  Refuse,  Possibilities  for,  by  H.  F.  Weiss 232 

Mill  Waste,  A  Forest  Service  Expert  Talks  on 78 

Mill  Men  Finally  Awake 362 

Mill-Constructed   Buildings    Are   Flexible 338 

Mill-Construction  Buildings,  Low  Insurance  on 274 

Mill-Construction  or  Concrete 274 

Mill-Construction,    The   Meaning   of 273 

Mill-Construction,  Standard,  Kidder  on 178 

Mill-Construction,  Standard,  by  R.  S.  Lindstrum 269 

Mill  Costs,  Factors  in .' 187 

Mill  Stocks,  Keep  Posted  on 208 

Mill  to  Car,  Cost  from,  L.  J.  Boykin 226 

Mills  Fail  to  Provide  for  Factory  Needs 311 

Mills,  Information  They  Should  Have 318 

Mills,  Keep  in  Close  Touch  with  the 197 

Mills,  The,  Claims  Developing  at 317 

Mis-Matched  Flooring 102 

Mis-Matched  Flooring,  A  Use  for 103 

Misconception,  Public,  of  Southern  Pine  Varieties ...  '. 277 

Mistake,  A,  of  Yellow  Pine  Manufacturers 365 

Misuse,  An  Example  of 74 

Mixed  Timber  Quality  Hurts  Prices 338 

Modern  Competition,  The  Demands  of 371 

Modifications   of  the  Requirements 337 

More  Wood  Used  in  Block  Floors 389 

Most  Desirable  Order,  The 205 

Motive  Power,  The,  That  Moves  Us 294 

Myers,  C.  W.,  Address,  Selling  Factory  and  Industrial  Trade 310 


INDEX  487 


N 

Page 

National  Association,  Work  for  the • 376 

Natural  Talents  Must  Be  Cultivated. 286 

Neatness,  Personal,  The  Value  of 62,  301 

Need,  The,  of  Uniform  Cost  Accounting 188 

Nelson,    M.   B.,   Address,    Co-Operation   with    Distributors   and    Con- 
sumers   150 

New  Specifications  for  Laying  Shingles 192 

New  Rule  Received  with  Enthusiasm 338 

New  Business,  On  the  Alert  for 218 

New  Specifications  for  Wooden  Boxes 84 

No.  1  Common,  No  "Select" 107 

No.  1  Car  Siding,  Wane  on 105 

No.  1  Pine  Lath,  Pitch  in 110 

No.  2  Fencing  and  No.  2  Flooring  Graded  the  Same 109 

No.  2  Flooring  and  No.  2  Fencing  Graded  the  Same. 109 

No.  2  Center  Matched,  Grading HOT" 

No.  3  Fencing,  Grading 108 

No  Book  Tells  the  Story  of  Lumber 132 

No  Man  100  Per  Cent  Efficient  in  All  Things 292 

No  Rules  for  Handling  a  Dude 138 

No  Secrets  in  the  Lumber  Business 18 

No  "Select"  No.  1  Common 107 

No  Time  for  Facial  Analysis , 134 

Non-Growing  Worker,  Cut  Off 166 

Northern  Lumber  Prices,  Stability  in 364 

Nothing  Beyond  Reach  of  Aggressiveness 172 

Notation,   The,   "Good    Grade"   Unnecessary 35 

Novel  Uses  for  Wood  Waste,  A  Variety  of 82 

Noyes,  A.  H.,  Address,  Creosoted  Wood  Blocks  for  Interior  Service. .  383 

o 

Obligation,  The,  of  the  Sales  Manager 243 

Odd  Items  and  "Irregular"  Stock,  Working  Off 374 

Odds  and  Ends,  Disposing  of 208 

Of  Importance  to  the  Salesman  of  Wood 20£ 

Off-Grades,   The  Handling  of 231 

Office-Made  Route  Sheet  Hampers  Salesman 248 

Office  Equipment  of  Metal 325 

Office,  Your,  Information  for 374 

Old  Rules  Not  Satisfactory 335 

One  Man'sj  Aggressiveness,  A  Triumph  of 168 

One  of  Your  Best  Talking  Points 333 

Only  31  Per  Cent  of  a  Tree  Is  Saved 232 

Open-Tank  Treatment,  The,  of  Lumber 223 

Order,  Following  Through  an,  for  Wood  Blocks 384 

Order,  Judging  the,  Address,  F.  R.  Watkins 203 

Order,  Landing  an,  After  Three  Tries 343 

Order,  Laying  the  Foundation  for  an 386 

Order,  The  Most  Desirable 205 

Orders,  Acceptability  of,  at  the  Mill 204 

Orders,  As  to  Holding  Up 252 

Orders  for  Varied  Lengths  Appreciated  at  Mill 245 

Orders,  Grading,  Volume  Not  a  Factor  in 205 

Orders,  Judging 32 

Orders  Should  Be  Filled  as  Given 247 

Orders,  "One-Size,,"  May  Cause  Trouble,  How 205 

Orders,  The  Importance  of  Writing  Carefully 210 

Order-Takers  Who  Call  Themselves  Salesmen * 370 


488  INDEX 


Page 

"Order-Taker,"  The,  Has  Become  a  Salesman 290 

"Ordinary,"  Construction  Known  as 275 

Organization  Means  Efficiency,  Address  by  Charles  S.  Keith 11 

Organization,  Territorial,  Work  for 48 

Organizations,  Co-Operative,  Government  Approval  of 122 

Organization,  Territorial,  of  Salesmen 114 

Origin  of  Standard  Grades 334 

Origin  of  Blue  Stain : 219 

Originality  and  Initiative G4 

Other  Materials  Delivered  as  Ordered 178 

Outwitting  Competition  in  Railway  Service 351 

Over-run,  Wide  Variation  in 158 

p 

Pace  of  the  Customer,  Take  the 141 

Paints,  Fire  Resistant  Shingle 383 

Paints,  Tinted,  Last  Longest 380 

Painted  Shingle  Roofs,  Advantages  of 383 

Painting  and  Finishing  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  Address,  H.  A.  Gard- 
ner   378 

Painting  Shingle  Roofs *  382 

Painting  with  Preservative  Has  Little  Value 222 

Painting  Yellow  Pine  Exteriors 379 

Painting  Yellow  Pine  Interiors 380 

Painting  Yellow  Pine,  Lecture  on 25 

Palmistry  Involves  "Holding  Hands" 135 

Paper,  The  Best,  Southern  Pine  Makes 79 

Partition  and  Flooring,  Difference  of  Value  in 100 

Past  with  the  Future,  Contrasting 358 

Patent  Roofing,  Tile  and  Slate 32G 

Pavements,  Street,  Brick  and  Wood  in 323 

Per  Acre  Yield  a  Large  Factor IG'O 

Per  Cent  of  a  Tree  Saved,  Only  31 232 

Perfect  Efficiency,  The  Meaning  of 291 

Personal  Neatness,  The  Importance  of 62,  301 

Personal  Profit,  Superior  Knowledge  Means 268 

Personality,  Address,  Approach 63 

Personality  a  Factor  in  Making  Sales 256 

"Personality,"  The  Right  Kind  of 301 

Persuading  Dealers  to  Handle  Short  Lengths 46 

Phrenology  an  Empty  "Science" 134 

Pine,  Southern,  Makes  the  Best  Paper 79 

Pine  Lath,  No.  1,  Pitch  in 110 

Pitch  in  C  Finish 10<3 

Pitch  in  No.  1  Pine  Lath 110 

Plan,  A,  to  Enlist  Government  Aid 15 

Plea,  A,  for  Honest  Lumber 176 

Points  of  Superiority  of  Wood  Block  Floors 387 

Points,  The  Superior,  of  a  Shingle  Roof 190 

Pond  to  Sorting  Chain,  Cost  from 28, 186 

Poor  Way  to  Sell  Lumber,  A 217 

Possibilities,  Big,  in  Wood  Block  Interiors 383 

Possibilities  for  the  Lumber  Salesman 341 

Possibilities  for  Mill  Refuse,  Address,  H.  F.  Weiss 232 

Possibilities  in  Ethyl  Alcohol 80 

Possibilities  in  a  Knowledge  of  Competitive  Materials 54 

Power  in  Commercial  Greatness,  Endurance  of 148 

Practical  Use  of  Technical  Knowledge 284 

Pra:se,  Varying  'Complaints  with 310 


INDEX  489 


Page 

Prefers  Learning  to  Gin Ill 

Prepare  to  Meet  Criticisms 30 

"Preparedness"  Practiced  by  the  Association 195 

Preserve  Wood,  Chemicals  That  Effectually 222 

Preservative,  Painting  with,  Has  Little  Value 222 

Pressure- Vacuum  Method  of  Treating  Lumber 223 

Preserved  Wood,  How  to  Use 225 

Preservation,  Wood,  The  Study  of  a  Duty 225 

Preservative  Treatment,  The,   of  Wood 75 

President  Keith  Introduced 11 

Prevention  of  Decay  by  Chemical  Treatment 221 

Preventive  Measures  for  the  Salesman 316 

Price  Cutting,  Unnecessary 308 

Price  Inquiries,  Letting  the  Salesman  Answer 251 

Price  Quoting,  Efficiency  in 296 

Price  the  Only  Obstacle  to  Wood  Block  Floors 387 

Price,  Yellow  Pine  Has  No  Competitor  in 368 

Prices,  High,  of  Competitive  Materials  Help 195 

Prices,  High,  for  Short  Lengths 372 

Prices,   Market  Conditions,  etc 57 

Prices,  Mixed  Timber  Quality  Hurts 338 

Prices,  Northern  Lumber,   Stability  in 364 

Problem,  The,  of  Getting  a  Profit 14 

Problem,  The,  of  the  Customer 133 

Problems  for  the  Manufacturer "... 239 

Proceedings,   Salesmen's    Convention 6 

Product,  Lumber  Salesmen  Should  Know  All  About 202 

Product,  Learn  to  Know  Our 151 

Producers  of  Growth  Should  Share  in  Growth 165 

Product,  The  Value  of  Knowing  Your 70 

Production,  Cost  of,  Closely  Watched 186 

Production,  Cost  of,  from  Pond  to  Sorting  Chain 186 

Production,  Relation  of  Cost  of,  to  Cost  of  Selling 261 

Profit,  The  Contractor  Figures  for 270 

Profit,  Public,  in  Trade  Organizations 156 

Profit,  the  Problem  of  Getting  a 14 

Profits  and  Economy 64 

Profits,  Greater,  and  a  Pleased  Customer 372 

Profits,  The  Hope  of,  in  Closer  Utilization 79 

Program  of  Convention 3 

Progress  in  the  Utilization  of  Waste , 233 

Promises,  Empty,  of  Prompt  Delivery 277 

Promises  Salesmen  Make,  Backing  Up  the 251 

Promote  Efficiency,  Trade  Associations 123 

Promoting  Yellow  Pine  Timbers 269 

Promotion,   Sales,  Built  on  Advertising v 385 

Promotion  Service 119 

Promotion  Work  in  Europe 121 

Prompt  Delivery,  Empty  Promises  of 277 

"Prompt,"  "Immediate"   and   "Rush"  Shipments 39 

"Prompt  Shipment,"  The  Meaning  of 39 

Proper  Fixed  Charges,  The  Question  of 14 

Properly  Used,  See  That  Yellow  Pine  Is 197 

Proposed  Amendment,   Text  of 15 

"Prospects,"  Getting  a  Line  on 386 

Provide  for  Factory  Needs,  Mills  Fail  to 312 

Psychology  for  the  Salesman 65 

Public  Profit  in  Trade  Organizations 156 

Purpose  in  Organizing  the  Southern  Pine  Association 12 


490  INDEX 


Page 
Publicity,  Association,  as  a  Lumber  Salesman,  Address  by  W.  J. 

Ferry 327 

Publications,  List  of,  Issued  and  Distributed  by  the  Southern  Pine 

Association 471 

Public  Opinion,  Salesmen  Can  Sway 353 

Public,  Facts  That  Appeal  to  the 71 

Public  Demand,  Trend  of,  Salesmen  Should  Watch 204 

Public,  The,  Likes  Shingles 193 

Publicity  Service,  Association 120 

Public  Misconception  of  Southern  Pine  Varieties 278 

Public  Sentiment  and  the  Lumber  Salesman,  Address,  Gen.  L.  C. 

Boyle 347 

"Pull,"  Don't  Try  to  Win  Through 276 

Purpose  of  Meeting,  by  Harry  T.  Kendall 10 

Put  the  Brand  of  Excellence  on  Each  Piece .321 


0 


Quality,  Known,  Architects'  Confidence  Based  on 181 

Queries,  Samples  of,  Received , 20 

Question  for  the  Commission,  A 98 

Question,  The,  of  Proper  Fixed  Charges 14 

Questions,  An  Invitation  to  Ask 19 

Questions  Asked,  Discussion  of  the 33 

Questions,  Be  Ready  to  Answer 375 

Questions,  Dr.  von  Schrenk  Answers 22 

Questions,  Some,  Answered  by  Letter 112 

Questions,  Some,  Salesmen  Ask 33 

Questions,  The  Density  Rule  Answers 72 

R 

Railway  "Heart"  Specification,  A 92 

Rates,  Low,  of  Insurance  on  Mill-Construction  Buildings 274 

Reach  of  Aggressiveness,  Nothing  Beyond  the 172 

Real  Start,  A,  in  Science 136 

Reading  a  Man's  Character  by  His  Dress 136 

Reading  the  Tones  of  Voice 138 

Reasons,  Ten,  for  the  Sale  of  Wooden  Silos,  Address   by  J.  Lewis 

Thompson 389 

Recent  Awakening,  A,  Among  Manufacturers 262 

Records  That  Are  Helpful 216 

Regions,  Treeless,  Saved  by  Railroads 199 

Regulate  Selling  Cost,  The  Salesman  Can 260 

Relation  of  Cost  of  Production  to  Cost  of  Selling 261 

Relative  Value  and  Cost  of  Substitutes.  Do  You  Know? 295 

Remedies,  Denied  the  Use  of 14 

Repairs  Easy,  in  Wooden  Silos 392 

"Representative"  as  Well  as  "Salesman" 263 

Requirements,  The,  Modifications  of 337 

Re-Sawing  Lumber,  The  Cost  of 98 

Re-Sawing  and  Ripping • 229 

Research  Work,  Lumbermen  Should  Aid  in 242 

Resistance,  Resin  Does  Not  Increase  Decay 219 

Resin  Does  Not  Increase  Decay  Resistance 219 

Response  to  Address  of  Welcome 10 

Retail  Merchandising 58 

Retail  Yards,  What  Mill  Operators  Might  Learn  at 246 

Retailer's   Benefit,   Work  for  the 334 

Retailers,  Four  Hundred,  Used  Cuts 331 


INDEX  491 


Page 

Re- Working,  The,  of  Special  Stock 230 

Reaching  the  Consumer,  Address,  Hugh  McVey 253 

Requirements,  The,  for  a  Roofing  Material 190 

Retailer,  How  Do  You  Rank  as  ? 297 

Retailers  Urge  Association  Support 117 

Rhodes,  J.  E.,  Address,  What  the  Southern  Pine  Association  Is 115 

Richardson,  Jr.,   J.   F.,   Address,   Co-Operation  with  Architects   and 

Builders 175 

Right  Species,  Specify — Then  Get  It 176 

Right  Kind,  The,  of  "Personality" 301 

Right  Grade,  The,  in  the  Right  Place 198 

Ripping  and  Re-Sawing 229 

Right  Thing,  The,  at  the  Wrong  Time. .' 131 

Right  Uses  of  Lumber,  The 321 

Roofs,  Shingle,  Painting.   .   382 

Roofs,  Painted  Shingle,  A'dvantages  of 383 

Roofing  Material,  A,  the  Requirements  for 190 

Rot,  Tree,  That  Shows  in  Finished  Lumber , 218 

Rot  in  Living  Tree  Ends  with  Cutting 218 

Rosin  and   Turpentine 80 

Roofing,  Grooved,  Worth  More  Than  Shiplap 100 

Roll  of  Attendance  at  the  School  of  Salesmanship 394 

Route  Sheet,  Office  Made,  Hampers  Salesman 248 

Robinson,  S.  E.,  Address,  Technical  Training  in  Lumber  Business..  282 

Rubbing  Finishes,  Methods  of 281 

Rugs  and  Linoleum  from  Wood  Fibre 83 

Rule,  Density,  Do  You  Know  the? 196 

Rule,  Density,   Eliminates   Guesswork 338 

Rule,  The  Density,  Address  by  J.  E.  Jones 334 

Rule,  The  Density,  Answers  Questions 72 

Rule,  The  Density,  An  Effort  to  Misconstrue 337 

Rule,  The  Density,  Definition  of 461 

Rule,  The  New,  Received  with  Enthusiasm 338 

Rule,  The  Density,  Measures  Strength  Only 73,  339 

Rules,  Association,  Should  Be  Standard 38 

Rules,  Grading,  for  Southern  Yellow  Pine  Lumber 412 

Rules,  Established,  Grade  Close  to 321 

Rules,  Old,  Not  Satisfactory 335 

Rules,  Simpler,  The  Forest  Service  Sought 335 

Rules,  The  Intent  of  Association,  to  Standardize 110 

"Rush,"  "Prompt"  and  "Immediate"  Shipments 39 

S 

Sackett,  H.  S.,  Address,  Wood  Substitutes 322 

Sale  of  Silos,  The,  a  Specialty 390 

Sale,  The  Five  Elements  of  a 129 

Sales  and  Advertising  Departments  Allies 327 

Sales  Department,  The  Industry  Dependent  on 306 

Sales,  How  Advertising  Helps  Make 254 

Sales  Manager,  The  Obligation  of 243 

Sales  Organizations,  Faults  of ., 150 

Sales,  Personality  a  Factor  in  Making 256 

Sales  Promotion  Built  on  Advertising 385 

Sales  That  May  Hurt  the  Market 208 

Sales,  Wood  Block,  Price  the  Only  Obstacle  to. . 387 

Salesman,  A,  Who  Adapted  Himself 346 

Salesman,  Advertising  Help  for 265 

Salesman,  Are  You  a  Wise? 304 

Salesman,  Association  Publicity  as  a,  Address  by  W.  J.  Ferry 327 


492  INDEX 


Page 

Salesman,  Co-Operation  with,  from  General  Office 247 

Salesman,  How,  Can  Help  in  Waste  Utilization 238 

Salesman  Hampered  by  Office-Made  Route  Sheet 248 

Salesman,  How  the,  Can  Help 177 

Salesman,  Lumber,  Duty  of  the 194 

Salesman,  Lumber,  Efficiency  and  the,  Address  by  R.  J.  Tolson 286 

Salesman  or  Shipping  Clerk  to  Judge? 41 

Salesman,  Public  Sentiment  and  the,  by  Gen.  L.  C.  Boyle 347 

"Salesman,"  "Representative"  as  Well  as 263 

Salesman  Should  Guard  Employers'  Interests 318 

Salesman,  The,  as  a  Traffic  Expert 297 

Salesman,  The,  Can  Regulate  Selling  Costs 260 

Salesman,  The,  an  Association  Asset 263 

Salesman,  The,  Knows  Conditions  Best 42 

Salesman,  The,  How  He  Can  Aid  His  Customer 58 

Salesman,  The,  Psychology  for 65 

Salesman,  The  Substitute,  on  the  Job 76 

Salesman,  The,  the  All-Importance  of 348 

Salesman,  The,  Was  the  "Goat" 106 

Salesman,  The,  Should  Know  These  Things. 275 

Salesman,  The  Lack  of  Support  for 342 

Salesman,  The  Lumber,  and  His  Possibilities,  Address  by  Capt.  J.  B. 

White 340 

Salesman,  The  Lumber,  Public  Sentiment  and,  Address  by  Gen.  L.  C. 

Boyle 347 

Salesman,  The,  Preventive  Measures  for 316 

Salesman,  The,  as  a  Consulting  Expert 179 

Salesman,  The  "Order  Taker"  Has  Become  a 290 

Salesman,  The,  An  Institution v 393 

Salesman,  Traveling,  Cutting  Out  the 393 

Salesman,  Why  the,  Must  Know  Grades,  Address  by  W.  J.  Haynen. .  194 

Salesman  Worth-While,  The,  Employers  Want 171 

Salesman's  Instructions,  When  a,  May  Cause  Trouble 39 

Salesman's  Territorial  Organization  Outlined 48 

Salesman's,  The,  First  Asset  Is  Confidence 248 

Salesman's,  The,  Most  Valuable  Asset,  Wisdom 67 

Salesman's,  The,  Work  is  Distribution 128 

Salesman's  Value,  Getting  the 130 

Salesmen,  A  Most  Important  Aid  to 331 

Salesmen,  Advertising  to,  The  Importance  of 333 

Salesmen  and  Commission  Men,  When  They  Conflict 250 

Salesmen  and  Dealers  Must  Be  Educators 182 

Salesmen  Are  the  Eyes  of  the  Industry 309 

Salesmen,  Backing  Up  the  Promises  They  Make 251 

Salesmen  Can  Set  the  Public  Right 44 

Salesmen  Can  Sway  Public  Opinion 353 

Salesmen,  Do,  "Play  Favorites"? 37 

Salesmen,  Good,  Should  Be  Good  Lumbermen 289 

Salesmen,  How,  Can  Co-Operate  with  the  Association 262 

Salesmen,  Ignorant,  Not  Welcome  Callers 1«1 

Salesmen,  Information  They  Should  Have 244 

Salesmen  in  the  Front 356 

Salesmen,  Keeping  Posted  on  Correspondence 248 

Salesmen,  Lumber,  Should  Know  All  About  Their  Product 202 

Salesmen,  Letting,  Answer  Price  Inquiries 251 

Salesmen  Must  Help  to  Meet  Conditions 176 

Salesmen  of  Wood,  Of  Importance  to 202 

Salesmen  Should  Read,  Write  and  Talk 266 

Salesmen  Should  Watch  Trend  of  Public  Demand 204 

Salesmen  Should  Work  Together 154 


INDEX  493 


Page 

Salesmen  Should  Study  Factory  Uses  of  Lumber 85 

Salesmen,  Some,  Not  "Well  Born" 287 

Salesmen,  Some  Questions  They  Ask 33 

Salesmen,  The  Training  of,  Neglected 169 

Salesmen  to  Remember,  Something  for .... .  352 

Salesmen,  Traveling,  Territorial  Organization  of 114 

Salesmen,  Traveling,  The  Importance  of 255 

Salesmen,  Trade  Extension  Work  for 267 

Salesmen,  Withholding  Credit  from 249 

Salesmen's  Ability  to  Specialize  Means  Increased  Sales 273 

Salesmen's  School  a  Step  in  Advance , 357 

Salesmanship,  Address,  D.  M.  Barrett 161 

Salesmanship  Becoming  an  Art 376 

Salesmanship,  Good,  An  Example  of 351 

Salesmanship,  Good,  Not  All  in  Selling  Quantity 374 

Salesmanship,  Good,  Thorough  Knowledge  Essential  to 196 

Salesmanship  Is  a  Science  Today 125 

Salesmanship,  Lumber,  Address  by  Edward  Hines 356 

Salesmanship,  Specialization  in,  Essential  Now 369 

Salesmanship,  School  of,  What  It  Should  Do 132 

Salesmanship  the  Act  of  Growth 163 

Salesmanship,  The  Goods  the  Essential  Thing  in 132 

Salesmanship,    Where   We   Learn 162 

Sap  Wood  to  Heart  Wood,  Decay  Spreads 220 

Samples   of   Queries   Received 20 

Sap  Lumber  Good  When  Creosoted , 7 76 

Saving  on  Hotel  Bills 257 

Sawmill,  Co-Operation  from  the 69 

Sawmill,  Co-Operation  from  the,  Address,  C.  E.  Martin 243 

Sawmill  Costs,  Address,  C,  J.  Mansfield 186 

Sawmill  Costs,  Association  Figures  on 188 

Sawmill  to  Yard 228 

Science,  Salesmanship  Is  a '* 125 

''Science,"  Phrenology  an  Empty 134 

Science,  The  Definition  of  a 125 

Science,  A  Real  Start  in 136 

School,  Salesmen's,   a  Step  in  Advance 357 

School  of  Salesmanship,  Attendance  Classified  as  to  Firms  Repre- 
sented   403 

School  of  Salesmanship,  Proceedings  of 6 

School  of  Salesmanship,  Roll  of  Attendance  at  the. 394 

School  of  Salesmanship,  What  It  Should  Do 132 

Schopflin,  Frank,  Address,  Stumpage  and  Logging  Costs 158 

Seasoned  Wood,  Well,  Takes  Paint  Best 378 

Seasoning  Checks,  "Small,"  The  Meaning  of 101 

See  That  Yellow  Pine  Is  Properly  Used 197 

Secrets,  No,  in  the  Lumber  Business l!8 

Seidel,   Julius,   Welcoming   Address    by 8 

Self-Control  a  Factor  of  Efficiency ' 299 

Self-Control — a  Brake 60 

Sell  Lumber,  Instruction  Helps : 283 

Selling,  An  Analysis  of 128 

Selling  Cost,  Relation  of,  to  Cost  of  Production 261 

Selling  Cost,  Direct  and  Indirect,  Address,  W.  M.  Beebe 255 

Selling  Costs,  High  and  Low 260 

Selling  Costs,  The  Salesman  Can  Regulate 260 

Selling  Difficulties,  Some,  of  Today 369 

Selling,  Economical,  Means  Increased  Profits 303 

Selling  Energies,  The  Best  Utilization  of 155 

Selling  Errors,  Claims  Arising  from. 315 


494  INDEX 


Page 

Selling  Essential,  Courtesy  the  Greatest 377 

Selling  Expense,  The  Items  of 256 

Selling  Factory  and  Industrial  Trade,  Address,  C.  W.  Myers 310 

Selling  Lumber,  Average  Cost  of 259 

Selling  Lumber,  Common  Sense  in 248 

Selling  Short  Lengths,  A  Leader  in 346 

Selling  Territory,  The  Advantage  of  a  Small 215 

Sense,  Common,  in  Selling  Lumber 248 

"Separate"  Business  That  Became  "Regular"  Business 214 

Service,  Advertising  Is 254 

"Service,"  Association,  The  Meaning  of 267 

Service,  Accounting 119 

Service,   Association  Inspection 116 

Service,  Association  Publicity 120 

Service,  Engineering 121 

Service,  Helpful  Current  Statistical 118 

Service,  Promotion 119 

Service,  The,  To  Be  Extended 332 

Service,  Traffic 120 

Set  the  Public  Right,  Salesmen  Can 44 

Sheet,  Office-Made  Route,  Hampers  Salesman 248 

Shingle,  Heart  Pine,  The  Life  of  a 88 

Shingle  Paints,  Fire  Resistant , 383 

Shingle  Roof,  A,  The  Superior  Points  of 190 

Shingle  Roofs,  Painting 382 

Shingle  Roofs,  Advantages  of  Painted 383 

Shingle,  The  Wood,  Best 29 

Shingle,  The  Yellow  Pine 28 

Shingle  Users,  Facts  for 193 

Shingles  and  the  Fire  Hazard 191 

Shingles,  Lath  and  Box  Shooks,  Boost 306 

Shingles,  Laying,  New  Specifications  for 192 

Shingles,  Limitations  in  the  Us©  of. 30 

Shingles,  The,  Public  Likes 193 

Shingles,  Yellow  Pine,  Address  by  J.  H.  Eddy 189 

Shipment,   "Prompt,"   The   Meaning  of 39 

Shipments,  As  to  Transit  Car 96 

Shipments,  "Prompt,"  "Immediate"  and  "Rush" 39 

Shipping  Clerk  or  Salesman  to  Judge? 41 

Shipping  Clerks,  The  Importance  of 246 

Shipping  Lumber  at  Fifty  Cents  a  Thousand 362 

Shipments,  Transit,  A  Majority  of  Dealers  Against 97 

Shiplap,  Grooved  Roofing  Worth  More  Than 100 

"Short  Leaf"  and   "Long  Leaf"   Confusing 335 

Short  Leaf  for  Interior  Trim 278 

Short  Lengths  and  the  Specialty  Salesman ". 313 

Short  Lengths,  Disposing  of 45 

Short  Lengths,  High  Prices  for 372 

Short  Lengths,  Persuading  Dealers  to  Handle 46 

Short  Lengths,  When  the  Customer  Won't  Pay  for 47 

Short  Lengths  Worth  as  Much  as  Long 314 

Short  Lengths,  Selling,  A  Leader  in 346 

Side  Lines,  Lumber  Dealers  Carry  Too  Many 184 

"Sign  Here,"  The  Accent  that  Means 140 

Silo  Building  Increases  Other  Lumber  Uses 389 

Silos,  Other,  Faults  of 392 

Silo,  The  Wooden,  Address,  J.  Lewis  Thompson 389 

Silo,  The  Wooden,  Economy  of 392 

Silos,  Creosoted,  Do  Not  Injure  Feed 88 

Silos,  Mr.  Thompson  Talks  on . .  t 43 


INDEX  495 


Page 

Silos,  Teaching  a  Dairyman  About 345 

Silos,  The  Sale  of,  a  Specialty 390 

Silo,  Wood,  Superior  Points  of 390 

Silos,  Wooden,  Arguments  Supporting  Ten  Reasons  for 391 

Silos,  Wooden,  Preserve  Green  Feed  Best. 391 

Silos,  Wooden,   Repairs   Easy  in 392 

Simpler  Rules,  The  Forest  Service  Sought 335 

Sizes,  Lumber  Assembled  Without  Regard  to 359 

Slate,  Tile  and  Patent  Roofing 326 

Slow-Paying  Customers  Should  Pay  More 210 

Slow  Man,  A,  Resents  Being  Hurried 141 

Slim  Chance,  A,  for  the  Manufacturer 361 

Small  Logs  Expensive  to  Handle 187 

Small  Business  and  Big  Business 352 

"Small"  Seasoning  Checks,  The  Meaning  of 101 

Social  Basis,  Meeting  the  Customer  on  a 344 

Soda  Dip,  Cost  of  Increased 227 

Some  Salesmen  Not  "Well  Born" 287 

Some  Limitations  of  Wood 201 

Some  Selling  Difficulties  of  Today 369 

Some  Drawbacks  of  Astrology 135 

Some  Peculiarities  of  Advertising 253 

Some  Questions   Salesmen  Ask 33 

Sorting  Chain,  Costs  from  Pond  to 28,  186 

Southern  Pine  Makes  the  Best  of  Paper ., 79 

Southern  Pine  Association,  Hope  in 353 

Southern  Pine  Association  Publications,  List  of 471 

Southern  Pine  Association,  What  It  Is,  by  J.  E.  Rhodes 115 

Southern  Pine  Association,   The,   Purpose  in   Organizing 12 

Southern  Yellow  Pine  Advertising,  Address,  W.  J.  Ferry 327 

Southern  Yellow  Pine  Is  Best 179 

Southern  Yellow  Pine  Timbers  and  the  Density  Rule 461 

Southern  Yellow  Pine,  Exploiting,  Address  by  W.  H.  Sullivan 305 

Southern  Yellow  Pine  Lumber,  Grading  Rules  for 412 

Southern  Yellow  Pine  Car  Material,  Specifications  for 447 

Special  Order,  Gained  $30  a  Thousand  on  a 372 

Special   Articles   Boosting  the  Industry 332 

Special  Stock,  The  Re-Working  of 230 

Specialists,  Architects  Are  Becoming 272 

Specialization  in  Salesmanship  Essential  Now 369 

Specialization,  This  an  Age  of 311 

Specialty  Salesman,  The,  and  Short  Lengths 313 

Specialty,  The  Sale  of  Silos  a 390 

Species,  Identifying,  "By  the  Feel" 24 

Specify  the  Right  Species — Then  Get  It 176 

Species,  Lumber  Dealers  Don't  Know 177 

Spring  and  Summer  Wood,  Color  in 336 

Species,  Botanical,  Not  Considered 337 

Specification,  A  Railway  "Heart" 92 

Specifications,  New,  for  Laying  Shingles 192 

Specifications,  New,  for  Wooden  Boxes 84 

Specifications,   Southern  Yellow  Pine  Car  Material 447 

Specifications,  Standard,  Southern  Yellow  Pine  Bridge  and  Trestle 

Timbers : 441 

Specification,  The  "Standard  Heart" 89 

Stability  in  Northern  Lumber  Prices 364 

Stabilizing  the  Lumber  Industry,  A  Step  Toward 17 

Stain,  Blue,  Does  Not  Affect  Strength  of  Wood 220 

Stain,  Blue,  The  Origin  of 219 

Staining  and  Varnishing  Yellow  Pine 381 


496  INDEX 


Page 

Standard  Mill-Construction,  Kidder  on 178 

Standards,  Varied,  in  Judging  Lumber 319 

"Standard  Heart"  Specification,  The 89 

Standard  Specifications  for  Southern  Yellow  Pine  Bridge  and  Trestle 

Timbers 441 

Standard  "Heart"  in  the  South 91 

Standard  Matched,  Why  Flooring  Is 99 

Standard,  The,  Association  Rules  Should  Be 38 

Standardize,  The  Intent  of  Association  Rules  Is  to 110 

Standard  Grades,  The  Origin  of 334 

Standard  Mill  Construction,  Address  by  Robert  S.  Lindstrum 269 

Start,  A,  Toward  Uniform  Accounting  Methods 13 

Start  in  Science,  A  Real 136 

Statistical  Service,   Current,  Helpful 118 

Steel,  Where,  Has  Increased  Use  of  Wood 324 

Step,  A,  Toward  Stabilizing  the  Lumber  Industry 17 

Steel  in   Competition   with  Wood. 323 

Steel  Substituted  for  Structural  Timbers 324 

Steel  and  Wood  in  Fire 324 

Sterling,  E.  A.,  Address,  Merits  of  Wood  and  Its  Limitations 199 

Still  a  Power,  The  "Drummer" 393 

Stock,  Every  Lumber  Yard  Should  Carry  Wood  Blocks  in 388 

Stock,  Good,  in  Wood  Blocks 384 

Stock,  Inspectors  Handle  as  They  Find  It 100 

Stock,  Wet,  Green  and  Crooked 246 

Stock,  M:ake  Orders  Fit  the 245 

Stock,   Special,   The  Re- Working  of 230 

Stock,  Surplus,  A  Safe  Percentage  of , 40 

Story  of  Lumber,  The,  No  Book  Tells 132 

Strength  Combined  with  Lightness 200 

Strength,  Comparative,  of  Fir  and  Yellow  Pine 90 

Strength  of  Wood,  Blue  Stain  Does  Not  Affect 220 

Strength  of  Wood,  Turpentining  Does  Not  Affect 220 

Strength  in  Summer  Wood 23 

Street  Pavements,  Brick  and  Wood  in 323 

Structural  Timbers,  Steel  Substituted  for 324 

Structural  Timbers,  The  World's  Best 198 

Study  Failures  as  Well  as  Successes 126 

Study  of  Cost-Keeping  Systems 86 

Study,  The,  of  Temperament 140 

Study,  The,  of  Wood  Preservation  a  Duty 225 

Study  Yellow  Pine  in  Use 71 

Studying  the  User's  Needs,  The  Value  of 373 

Stumpage  and  Logging  Costs 27 

Stumpage  and  Logging  Costs,  Address,  Frank  Schopflin 158 

Stumpage  Values,  Expects  Enhanced 357 

Stumpage  Values,  The,  in  White  Pine 365 

Subjects,  Many,  Treated  in  Many  Publications 329 

Substitute  Salesman,  The,  on  the  Job 76 

Substitute  for  Cotton,  Wood  a 83 

Substitutes,  Competition  of,  Forced  a  Change 291 

Substitutes  Displace  10  Billion  Feet  of  Lumber 326 

Substitutes,  Do  You  Know  the  Relative  Value  and  Cost  of? 295 

Substitutes,  How  to  Offset  Inroads  of 327 

Substitutes,    Knowledge    of 53 

Substitutes,  Talking  Points  of  Wood  Competing  with 93 

Substitutes,  Wood,  Address,  H.  S.  Sackett 322 

Successes,  Study  Failures  as  Well  as 126 

Success  Today  a  Matter  of  Action 161 

Sullivan,  W.  H.,  Address,  Exploiting  Southern  Yellow  Pine 305 


INDEX  497 


Page 

Summer  and  Spring  Wood,  Color  in 336 

Slimmer  Wood,   Strength   in 23 

Superior  Beauty,  The,  of  Wood 200 

Superior  Knowledge  Means  Personal  Profit 268 

Superior  Points  of  the  Wood  Silo 390 

Superior  Points,  The,  of  a  Shingle  Roof 190 

Support,  Lack  of,  for  the  Salesman 342 

Support,  Retailers  Urge  Association 117 

Supply  Catches  the  Demand,  When  the 366 

Supply  What  Is  Wanted — or  Pass  the  Sale 272 

Surplus  Stock,  A  Safe  Percentage  of 40 

Suspicions   Are   Contagious 249 

Sway  Public  Opinion,  Salesmen  Can 353 

Systems,  Cost-Keeping,  Study  of ". .     86 

Systems,  Unit  Cost  Keeping,  Lacking 241 


T 

Tact  and  Judgment 63,  30)1 

Tact,  The  Elusive  Definition  of 131 

Take  the  Pace  of  the  Customer 141 

Talents,  Natural,  Must  Be  Cultivated 286 

Talking  Points,  One  of  Your  Best 333 

Talking  Points  of  Wood,  The,  in  Competition  with  Substitutes 93 

Tall  Buildings  Losing  Favor 182 

Task,  The,  of  Educating  Ourselves 12 

Teach  Others  the  Mlerits  of  Wood 152 

Teaching  a  pairyman  About  Silos 345 

Team- Work,  Co-Operation  Means 66,  304 

Team-Work,  Co-Operation  Which  Mieans 303 

Technical  Knowledge,  Practical  Use  of 284 

Technical  Knowledge,  The,  Required.  .„ 371 

Technical  Training  in  Constant  Use 285 

Technical  Training  in  the  Lumber  Business 26 

Technical  Training  in  Lumber  Business,  S.  E.  Robinson 282 

Technical  Work,  A,  on  Finishing  Yellow  Pine ,  330 

Telephone,  Doing  Business  by , .  307 

Temperament,  The,  Make  Your  Talk  Fit 141 

Temperament,  The  Study  of 140 

Ten  Reasons  for  the  Sale  of  Wooden  Silos,  Address  by  J.  Lewis 

Thompson 389 

Ten  Reasons  for  Wooden  Silos,  Arguments  Supporting 391 

Territory,  A  Small,  The  Advantage  of 215 

Territory,  How  Best  to  Cover,  Address  by  J.  H.  Heyl 212 

Territorial  Organization,  Arrangement  for 48 

Territorial  Organization,  List  of  Members 114 

Territorial  Organization,  Purpose  of 48 

Territorial  Organization,  The  Salesmen's,  Outlined 48 

Territorial  Organization,  Work  for 48 

Test,  Efficiency,  Mr.  Woodhead  Submits  to  the 50 

Text  of  Proposed  Amendment 15 

The  Lumber  Salesman  and  His  Possibilities,  by  Capt.  J.  B.  White 340 

These  Things  the  Salesman  Should  Know 275 

This  an  Age  of  Specialization 311 

Thorough  Knowledge  Essential  to  Good  Salesmanship 196 

Thompson,  J.  Lewis,  Address,  Ten  Reasons  for  the  Sale  of  Wooden 

Silos 389 

Tile,  Slate  and  Patent  Roofing 326 

Timber,  Average,  and  the  Density  Rule 101 


498  INDEX 


Page 

Timber  Quality,  Mixed,  Hurts  Prices r 338 

Timber,  Structural,  The  World's  Best 198 

Timbers,  Branding  of,  Should  Be  Insisted  Upon 276 

Timbers,   Promoting  Yellow   Pine 269 

Timbers,  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  and  the  "Density  Rule" 461 

Timbers,  Structural,  Steel  Substituted  for 324 

Time,  The  Company's,  Wasting 258 

Times  Change  in  Trade  Conditions 17 

Tinted  Paints  Last  Longest 380 

Tolson,  R.  J.,  Address,  Efficiency  and  the  Lumber  Salesman 286 

Too  Much  Handling  in  Lumber  Manufacture 85 

Trade  Associations  Promote  Efficiency 123 

Trade  Barrier,  A,  Removed 269 

Trade  Conditions,  Times  Change  in 17 

Trade  Extension,  The  Meaning  of 306 

Trade  Extension  Work  for  Salesmen 267 

Trade,  Industrial,  Demands  Close  Study 312 

Trade  Organizations,  Public  Profit  in 156 

Traffic  Expert,  The  Salesman  as  a 297 

Traffic  Rates  and  Transportation 57 

Traffic  Service 120 

Training,  Technical,  in  Constant  Use 285 

Training,  Technical,  in  the  Lumber  Business ! '.'.  26 

Training,  The,  of  Salesmen  Neglected 169 

Transit  Car  Shipments,  As  to /.. ,  96 

Transit  Cars,  One  Day's  List  of 97 

Transit  Shipments,  The  Majority  of  Dealers  Against 97 

Transportation  and  Traffic  Rates '.'. 57 

Traveling  Salesman,  Cutting  Out  the !       '.  393 

Traveling  Salesmen,  The  Importance  of '255 

Treated  Lumber,  Where  It  May  Be  Obtained .'                   '  224 

Treated  Material,  Where  It  Should  Be  Used 224 

Treating  Lumber,  England  Ahead  of  Us  In '  7g 

Treating  Lumber,  The  Pressure- Vacuum  Method  of !!......    !  223 

Treating  Wood  That  Is  to  Be  Painted 225 

Treatment,  Chemical,  Prevention  of  Decay  by ...'.'.  221 

Treatment,  Experts  Should  Supervise ..... 

Treatment  Given  Wood  Blocks . . ...  335 

Treatment  of    Lumber,  The  Open-Tank 

Treatment,  The  Preservative,  of  Wood 

Tree  Is  Saved,  Only  31  Per  Cent  of 232 

Tree,  Rot  in  Living,  Ends  with  Cutting 219 

Tree  Rot  That  Shows  in  Finished  Lumber "                        '  218 

Tree,  The,  Grows  on  the  Outside 89 

Trees  and  Lumber,  Diseases  that  Attack 73 

Treeless  Regions  Saved  by  Railroads 199 

Tremendous  Market,  A,  Near  Home 29 

Trend  of  Public  Demand,  Salesmen  Should  Watch ................     '  204 

Trestle  Timbers,  Bridge  and,  Specifications  for '441 

Trim,  Interior,  Short  Leaf  for '  278 

Trim,  Care  of  Before  Use ] '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.       '.  281 

Triumph,  A,  of  One  Man's  Aggressiveness..  168 

Trucking,  Loading,  etc.,  Items  of '  226 

Truthfulness  and  Honesty 

Turpentine  and  Benzol,  Use  of '380 

Turpentine  and  Rosin 80 

Turpentining  Does  Not  Affect  Strength  of  Wood! '. '.  '. '. . .' .' .'  .* .' .'               '  220 

Turpentining  Does  Not  Weaken  Wood . .  88 

"Trust,"  A  Lumber,  Impossible ......"........  '350 

Twine  Made  from  Wood  Waste 82 


INDEX  499 


Page 

Twists,  In  Case  of 102 

Type,  The  "Heart,"  Using  ''Head"  Arguments  with 144 

Type,  The  Intellectual,  Dealing  with 1)42 

Type,  "Will,"  Handling  the H4 

Types  of  Men,  The  Three,  You  Deal  With 142 

u 

Uncommon  Thing,  Aggressiveness  the 171 

Uniform  Accounting  Methods,  A  Start  Toward 13 

Uniform  Cost  Accounting,  The  Need  of 188 

Unit  Cost-Keeping  Systems  Lacking 241 

Unnecessary  Price  Cutting  308 

Unsuitable  Uses  of  Lumber , 375 

Urge  Use  of  Association  Grades 316 

Use,  A,  for  Mis-Matched  Flooring 103 

Use  Articles  Made  from  Wood  Waste 242 

Use  of  Better  Grades,  Encourage  the 376 

Use  of  Lumber,  Causes  of  Decreased 194 

Use  of  Shingles,  Limitations,  in  the 30 

Use,  The,  of  Cement  Will  Decline „ 347 

Use,  The,  of  Display  Advertising 328 

Use  of  Turpentine  and  Benzol 380 

User  of  Wood,  The  Dealer  as  a 185 

User,  the  Individual,  Wood's  Workability  Appeals  to 199 

User's  Needs,  The,  The  Value  of  Studying 373 

Users  Should  Know  Actual  Sizes  of  Lumber 183 

Uses  for  Wood  Waste,  Novel,  A  Variety  of 82 

Uses  of  Wood,  The,  Co-Operating  in  Extending 84 

Uses,  The  Right,  of  Lumber 321 

Uses,  Unsuitable,  of  Lumber 375 

Using  "Head"  Arguments  with  the  "Heart"  Type 144 

Utilization,  Chemical  and  Mechanical 79 

Utilization,  Methods  of    233 

Utilization  of   Southern   Pine   Mill   and   Woods   Waste,   Address   by 

Howard  P.  Weiss 232 

Utilization  of  Waste,   Chemical 237 

Utilization  of  Waste,  Progress  in  the 233 

Utilization,  The  Best,  of  Selling  Energies 155 

v 

Vain,  Be  Confident,  But  Not 300 

Value,  Difference  In,  of  Partition  and  Flooring 100 

Value  of  Advance  Calling  Cards,  The 212 

Value,  The,  of  Courtesy 59 

Value,  The,  of  Knowing  Your  Product   70 

Value,  The,  of  Studying  the  User's  Needs. ., 373 

Value,  The,  of  Personal  Neatness 301 

Value,  The  Salesman's,  Getting 130 

Values,  Expects  Enhanced  Stumpage  357 

Values,  The  Advance  In  White  Pine  Stumpage 365 

Valuable  By-Product,  A,  Neglected 189 

Variation,  Wide,   In  Over-run 158 

Varied  Standards  in  Judging  Lumber 319 

Varied  Lengths,  Orders  for,  Appreciated  at  the  Mill 245 

Variety,  A,  of  Novel  Uses  for  Wood  Waste 82 

Variety,  Identifying,  In  Lumber 23 

Varieties,  Southern  Pine,  Public  Misconception  of 278 

Varying  Complaints  with  Praise. ->.. 310 


500  INDEX 


Page 

Variations,  Inevitable,  In  Low  Grade  Stock 36 

Variations  In  Widths  Bound  to  Occur 109 

Varnish  Maker's,  A,  Finishing  Specifications 280 

Varnishing  and  Staining  Yellow  Pine 381 

Visitors,  A  Welcome  to 18 

Vocations,  All,  Are  "In  Business" 129 

Volume  Not  a  Factor  in  Grading  Orders 205 

Von  Schrenk,  Dr.  Hermann,  Address,  Decay  of  Yellow  Pine  Lumber. .  218 

Von  Schrenk,  Dr.,  Answers  Questions 22 

w 

Wall-Board  Made  of  Wood  81 

Wane  on  Car  Siding 104 

Wane  on  No.  1  Car  Siding 105 

Waste,  Annual,  of  Yellow  Pine,  25  Million  Cords 233 

Waste,  Chemical  Utilization  of 237 

Waste,  Progress  In  the  Utilization  of ; 233 

Waste  Utilization,  How  the  Salesman  Can  Help  in 238 

Wasting  the  Company's  Time 258 

Watkins,  F.  R.,  Address,  Judging  the  Order 203 

Weaken  Wood,  Turpentining  Does  Not 88 

Weiss,  H.  F.,  Address,  Utilization  of  Mill  Refuse 232 

Welcome,  Address  of 7,  8 

"Well  Born,"  Some  Salesmen  Not 287 

Well  Seasoned  Wood  Takes  Paint  Best 378 

Wet,  Green  and  Crooked  Stock 246 

What  a  Course  In  Forestry  Is 283 

What  a  School  of  Salesmanship  Should  Do 132 

What  Do  You  Know  of  the  Wood,  Yellow  Pine? 294 

What  Do  You  Know  of  the  Manufacture  of  Lumber? 295 

What  Is  Your  Ambition? 309 

What  Mill  Operators  Might  Learn  at  Retail  Yards 246 

What  the  Association  Is  Trying  to  Do 354 

When  the  Consumer  Dictates 367 

When  The  Customer  Won't  Pay  for  Short  Lengths 47 

What  the  Southern  Pine  Association  Is,  by  J.  B.  Rhodes 115 

What  the  Term  "Ten  to  Twenty  Foot  Lengths"  Implies 41 

When  a  Salesman's  Instructions  May  Cause  Trouble 39 

When  Mill  and  Dealer  Disagreed 106 

When  Salesmen  and  Commission  Men  Conflict 25(0 

When  the  Supply  Catches  the  Demand 366 

Where  Brick  Displaces  Wood 322 

Where  Steel  Has  Increased  the  Use  of  Wood 324 

Where  Treated  Lumber  May  Be  Obtained ! 224 

Where  Treated  Material  Should  Be  Used : 224 

Where  We  Learn  Salesmanship 162 

White,  Capt.  J.  B.,  Address,  The  Lumber  Salesman  and  His  Possibili- 
ties   340 

White  Pine  Stumpage  Values,  The  Advance  In 365 

Why  Architects  "Side-Step"  Lumber  Salesmen 271 

Why  Business  Growth  Stops 164 

Why  Flooring  Is  Standard  Matched 99 

Why  Lumbermen  Should  Be  Proud  of  Their  Business 249 

Why  Salesmen  Must  Know  Grades,  Address  by  W.  J.  Haynen 194 

Wide  Latitude  In  Extending  Credit , 368 

Wide  Variation  in  Over-run 158 

Widths,  Variations  In,  Bound  to  Occur 109 

"Will"   Type,   Handling  the 144 

Win  Through  "Pull,"  Don't  Try  to .276 


INDEX  501 


Page 

Wise  Architect,  The,  Avoids  "Gome-Backs"  .........................  175 

Wisdom  the  Salesman's  Most  Valuable  Asset  .......................  67 

Withholding  Credit  from  the  Salesman  .............................  249 

Wood  a  Substitute  for  Cotton  ......................................  83 

Wood  and  Brick  in  Street  Pavements  ..............................  323 

Wood  and  Steel  in  Fire  ...........................................  324 

Wood  Blocks,    Booklets    on  .........................................  329 

Wood  Block  Floors,  Points  of  Superiority  in  .......................  387 

Wood  Block  Floors  Save  Breakage  ........  ....................  .  .....  388 

Wood  Blocks  for  Interior  Service,  Address  by  A.  H.  Noyes  ......  .....  383 

Wood  Block  Interiors,  Great  Possibilities  in  ........................  383 

Wood  Blocks,  Good  Stock  in  .......................................  384 

Wood  Blocks,  Following  Through  an  Order  for  .....................  384 

Wood  Blocks  Sales,  Price  Only  Obstacle  in  ........................  387 

Wood  Blocks,  The  Treatment  Given  ...............................  385 

Wood,  Chemicals  That  Effectually  Preserve  .......  .  ................  222 

Wood,  Concrete  As  a  Rival  of  .....................................  325 

Wood  Continuously  Wet  or  Dry  Does  Not  Decay  ....................  221 

Wood  Fibre,  Rugs  and  Linoleum  from  _____  ...........................  83 

Wood  in  Competition  with  Substitutes  ............................  93,  322 

Wood,  Learn  Factory  Uses  of  .....................................  238 

Wood,  Merits  of,  and  Its  Limitations,  Address,  E.  A.  Sterling  .......  199 

Wood,  More,  Used  in  Block  Floors  .................................  389 

Wood,  Of  Importance  to  Salesmen  of  ...............................  202 

Wood  Preservation,  The  Study  of  a  Duty.  ......  ......................  225 

Wood,  Preservative  Treatment  of  ..................................  75 

Wood  Shingle,   The,   Best  .....................  :  ...........  ..........  29 

Wood  Silo,  Superior  Points  of  ......................................  390 

Wood,  Some  Limitations  of   .......................................  201 

Wood,  Steel  in  'Competition  with  ...................................  323 

Wood,  Strength  of,  Blue  Stain  Does  Not  Affect  the  .................  220 

Wood,  Strength  of,  Turpentining  Does  Not  Affect  ..................  220 

Wood  Substitutes,  Address  by  H.  S.  Sackett  .............  ...........  322 

Wood,  Summer  and  Spring,  Color  in  ......  ,  ..............  '.'.  .........  336 

Wood  Tabernacles  Only  for  Billy  Sunday  ...........................  346 

Wood,  Talking  Points  of,  in  Competition  With  Substitutes  ..........  93 

Wood,  Teach  Others  the  Merits  of  ..........  .  ......................  152 

Wood  That  Is  to  Be  Painted,  Treating  ..............................  225 

Wood,  The  Superior  Beauty  of  ........................  ...  .,  ..........  200 

Wood,  Turpentining  Does  Not  Weaken  ...................  ....  ........  88 

Wood  Waste,  A  Variety  of  Novel  Uses  for  ..........................  82 

"Wood  Waste  Exchange,"  A  Government  ..........................  239 

Wood  Waste,  Use  Articles  Made  from  ..............................  242 

Wood,  Well  Seasoned,  Takes  Paint  Best  ..................  .  .,  ........  373 

Wood,  Where  Brick  Displaces  ....................  '.  .......  '.'.  ____  ......  322 

Wood,  Where  Steel  Has  Increased  Use  of  ..............                    !  324 

Wood,  Which?  ....................................................  343 

Wood-  Working   Machines,   Improved,   Needed  ................  '.'.'.'.'.'.'.  240 

Wood  Working  Exchange,  The  Government's  .........  86 

Wood,  Yellow  Pine  the  Leading  ....................................  363 

Wooden  Boxes,  New  Specifications  for  .............................  84 

/ooden  Houses  Good  for  a  Century  ..................  ..............  378 

Wooden  Silo,  Economy   of    ...................................  '  e\  392 

Wooden  Silos,  Arguments  Supporting  10  Reasons  for.  .  .  '.  '.  ......  .  '.  .  .  391 

Wooden  Silos  Preserve  Green  Feed  Best  .........................  [\  391 

Wooden  Silos,  Repairs  Easy  in    ....................  ...........      '  392 

Wooden  Silos,  Ten  Reasons  for  the  Sale  of,  Address,  J.  Lewis 

Thompson 
Woodhead,   Ben   S.,   Address,   How   Salesman   Can   Co-Operate 


Association  ................................  .........  262 


502  INDEX 


Page 

Woodhead,  Ben  S.,  Examination  In  Efficiency 50 

Woodhead,  Mr.,  Submits  to  Efficiency  Test 50 

Woods,  Comparative  Length  of  Life  of 94 

Woods,  Competitive,  a  Low  Score  on 53 

Woods,  How  About  Competitive? .• 294 

Woods,  Waste,  Mill  and,  Utilization  of  Southern  Pine,  Address  by 

H.  P.  Weiss 232 

Wood's  Workability  Appeals  to  Individual  User 199 

Work,  Association,  Is  For  All 157 

Work  for  the  National  Association 376 

Work  for  the  Territorial  Organization 45 

Work  for  the  Retailers'  Benefit 334 

Work,  Promotion,  In  Europe 121 

Work,  The  Salesman's,  Is  Distribution 128 

Work  Together,  Salesmen  Should 154 

Workability,  Wood's,  Appeals  to  Individual  User 199 

Working  Off  Odd  Items  and  "Irregular"  Stock 374 

Worker,  Cut  Off  the  Non-Growing , 166 

World's,  The,  Best  Structural  Timbers . . . 198 

World,  The,  Doing  Five  Things 126 

Writing  Orders  Carefully  and  Correctly,  The  Importance  of 210 

Wuescher,  M.  L.,  Address,  Claims  and  Disputes,  Their  Cause  and 

Settlement 315 

Y 

Yards,  Retail,  What  Mill  Operators  Might  Learn  at 246 

Yard,  Sawmill  to 228 

Yard  Stock  Grading  Rules,  Address  by  J.  W.  Martin 319 

Yard  Stock  Grading  by  the  Manufacturer 320 

Yellow  Pine,  Annual  Waste  of,  25  Million  Cords . . 233 

Yellow  Pine  and  Douglas  Fir   t 275 

Yellow  Pine  and  Fir,  Comparative  Strength 90 

Yellow  Pine,  Best  Finishes  for  Interior  Use,  Address  by  R.  H.  Brooks,  277 

Yellow  Pine  Bridge  and  Trestle  Timbers,  Standard  Specifications  for,  441 

Yellow  Pine  Car  Material  Specifications    447 

Yellow  Pine,  Enamel  Finish  for  279 

Yellow  Pine,  Enamel  for  381 

Yellow  Pine,  Exploiting  Southern,  Address  by  W.  H.  Sullivan 305 

Yellow  Pine  Exteriors,  Painting 379 

Yellow  Pine,  Finishing,  A  Technical  Work  on 330 

Yellow  Pine,  Finishing  Floors  of  382 

Yellow  Pine,  Handling,  Made  Difficult • 365 

Yellow  Pine  Has  No  Competitor  in  Price 368 

Yellow  Pine  Interiors,  Painting 380 

Yellow  Pine  Is  Best 179 

Yellow  Pine  Lumber,  Decay  of,  by  Dr.  H.  von  Schrenk 218 

Yellow  Pine  Lumber,  Southern,  Grading  Rules  for 412 

Yellow  Pine  Manufacturers,  A  Mistake  of 365 

Yellow  Pine,  Painting,  a  Lecture  on 25 

Yellow  Pine,  Painting  and  Finishing,  Address  by  H.  A.  Gardner 378 

Yellow  Pine  Properly  Used,  See  That  It  Is 197 

Yellow  Pine  Shingle,  The  28 

Yellow  Pine  Shingle,  The,  Address  by  J.  H.  Eddy 189 

Yellow  Pine,  Staining  and  Varnishing  381 

Yellow  Pine,  Study  in  Use 71 

Yellow  Pine  the  Leading  Wood  Now 363 

Yellow  Pine  Timbers  and  The  "Density  Rule" ] 461 

Yellow  Pine  Timoers,  Promoting  .' '. 269 

Yellow  Pine,  What  Do  You  Know  of  the  Wood? 294 

Yield  Per  Acre  a  Large  Factor 160 


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MAY   21  1946 


MAY 


1946 


LD  21-100OT-12, '43  (8796s) 


U.C.BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


